


Umino Iruka and the Marauders

by Leicontis



Series: Umino Iruka and the Will of Fire [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-08-17 14:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16518167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leicontis/pseuds/Leicontis
Summary: Book 3:  Harry is as much of a trouble-magnet as Naruto - first a possessed teacher and a legendary artifact, then a hidden chamber and giant snake, now an escaped mass-murderer and soul-sucking demons.  Maybe next year will be less eventful?





	1. Serious Business

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Being neither British nor Japanese, it should therefore come as no surprise that I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto, nor anything from their respective franchises.

Public outcry over Rita Skeeter's exposé soon led to the sacking of Gilderoy Lockhart, as well as an investigation by the DMLE. If the scandalmonger's claims could be proven, it was quite likely that the famed author would soon be changing his address to a cell in Azkaban.

Response to Harry's letter was unsurprisingly mixed, at least from what Iruka could glean: Some derided it as a spoiled child's cry for attention, some for even hinting that Gilderoy Lockhart might not be the second coming of Merlin, and some for not condemning Lockhart hard enough, among other reasons. Wendell Granger suggested part of the motivation might also be that Harry's letter reminded people of things they'd prefer to avoid thinking about, or possibly made them feel guilty about indirectly celebrating James and Lily Potter's deaths. Of course, there was also a significant positive response, praising Harry's maturity and humility and expressing belated sympathy for his loss. Most people undoubtedly had no strong feelings either way, and at the end of the day Iruka could only hope that the net effect had been for the better.

The note summoning Iruka to the Headmaster's office was hardly surprising. What _was_ surprising was the topic he wanted to talk about: "I received a concerning report from a friend that lives near to the Dursley family, indicating that she has seen no signs of their nephew this summer. Given that you have clearly been in very recent contact with young Harry, I feel that I must ask you where he is."

The chuunin gave a resigned sigh. He knew the secret wouldn't last forever, but he'd been hoping it would be found out quite _this_ quickly; it had been a mistake to assume that nobody would be keeping an eye on the area. "The Granger family have sought and obtained custody through the Muggle system. Augusta Longbottom and I worked with Amelia Bones to speed things up and make certain everything was legal and solid. Madam Bones also called in Alastor Moody to help her ward the Granger residence."

Albus relaxed slightly. "If both Amelia and Alastor warded that home, that should at least provide those within sufficient warning and opportunity to escape, particularly given that emergency Portkey you asked me for last summer. From the timing of that request, I take it that Vernon Dursley's knee injury was not the accident his wife claimed it to be?"

"That was me," Iruka confirmed, "in response to what I'm fairly certain was his attempt to murder me." At Dumbledore's widened eyes, he gestured towards the cabinet holding the school's Pensieve. "Perhaps it would be best if you saw for yourself," he suggested.

After watching all of the ninja's interactions with the Dursleys in order, the elder wizard was left shaking his head. "Even among Tom's followers, there are few that showed such abject hatred for those unlike them. As much as I might wish that things were otherwise, you were entirely correct in removing Harry from that environment. While it is doubtful that they would have escalated so drastically without your intervention, you chose the best option apparent to you at every juncture."

Iruka nodded. "It was a calculated risk; intimidation always is. Naruto could probably have turned them around and gotten them to treat Harry like family, but he could talk a tiger out of eating meat. There wasn't really anything meaningful we could offer them, other than money, and to be honest they struck me as the type to prefer the opportunity to abuse their nephew over anything we could give them. He was just too valuable as both a servant and a way to feel powerful and superior. And they certainly weren't going to respond to _logic_."

"Far too few people do..." Albus mumbled before shaking himself. "I'm afraid you're right," he sighed, "I have seen their type enough to recognize it. One must wonder how they, and the blood-purist Pureblood families they resemble, would react to the realization that they had so much in common... It would likely be quite entertaining, in any event. Regardless, while I agree with your actions given the circumstances, I also cannot help but wish that Vernon and Petunia Dursley had been better people, not only for the sake of Harry Potter's childhood, but also because they were the only option available for the protections in place."

"When Lily Potter sacrificed herself for her son, she imbued Harry with a powerful protection against her killer. I was able to tie that protection to her sister, through the bond of their shared blood, in order to keep it active and to amplify its effects. Poor Quirinus Quirrell felt the results of that protection firsthand. By taking Harry in, however grudgingly, Petunia sealed the charm I placed upon him; as long as he could call the place where his mother's blood dwelt home, he would be protected."

"By not returning to Privet Drive," the Headmaster continued, "it will prevent this protection from being refreshed. Harry will not be as safe from Lord Voldemort as he would have been and neither will his relatives, although I confess to feeling rather less sympathetic to Vernon and Petunia than toward their son, who is too young to be considered fully responsible for his part in things. My priority was, above all else, Harry's survival. Vernon Dursley's actions make it clear that I failed to consider the possibility of a threat to his life coming from within the household."

"At this point," he concluded, "our best course is to rely primarily upon keeping Mister Potter's summer residence secret. Raising protective wards over the home and obtaining an escape Portkey for its occupants were both wise added layers of defense; I shall have to speak with Amelia about arranging to visit the Granger household myself to see if I can make any additions or enhancements to hers and Alastor's work. There are further measures that might be taken, but they would impose significant burdens upon the Grangers and would be best saved for a time when they are more clearly necessary."

Iruka nodded in agreement. "Secrecy was one of the major reasons I didn't tell you before now." He proceeded to explain his full reasoning regarding Harry's custody and what he expected would happen if it were decided through the Ministry.

"That is quite likely how events would play out," Albus replied, "and an excellent reason to handle the matter discreetly in the Muggle system. It would be hypocrisy of the highest order for me to condemn you for keeping it secret. If anything, it might be best to keep knowledge of Harry's custody strictly need-to-know. I would trust many of Hogwarts' staff with my life, but one need not have ill intent to divulge a secret; accident, coercion, and deception can all loosen even the tightest of lips." Iruka suspected that both of them were thinking of Hagrid.

By the time Iruka left the office, the two had worked out many of the details surrounding Harry's security going forward. The only raincloud on the horizon was the fact that, in order to keep the change of custody as secret as possible, the Grangers' names would have to be kept off the boy's paperwork, unfortunately including his Hogsmeade permission slip.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

It was early July when Headmaster Dumbledore once more called Iruka to his office for a meeting. "There are matters of import to discuss," he stated, "the first of which concerns young Mister Potter. How familiar are you and he with the specific details of the events surrounding his parents' deaths?"

"I've read up on them a bit," Iruka replied, "and the topic has come up on occasion in our discussions. My focus was on the 'how' at first, intending to learn about magical defenses and ways of getting past them, though after the first time Harry talked with me about it all I did some more research so I could answer his questions."

Albus nodded. "You are aware, then, of the role played by one Sirius Black?"

"Death Eater spy, leaked the Potters' location to Riddle, then killed over a dozen people attempting to resist capture, all but one of them innocent bystanders."

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied sadly, "crimes for which he was incarcerated in Azkaban, the prison which currently houses the criminals of Wizarding Britain." Clearly noticing Iruka's slight scowl, he asked, "Is something the matter?"

"When I heard about Azkaban, I naturally read up on it to find out how it is that even highly capable witches and wizards could be kept imprisoned. With wizards as with ninja, individuals with abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans are often difficult to hold against their will; a stone wall is no barrier to someone that can reshape earth and stone at will, or shatter it with a single blow. Reading about Dementors... Shinobi life is hardly all sunshine and roses, and torture is unfortunately an acknowledged practice. Even Konoha, in spite of being relatively gentle and moral, still maintained several expert torturers for the purposes of extracting vital information from captured enemies. That said, I cannot think of any prison in the history of the Elemental Nations that kept its inmates contained through continuous torture. Granted, there have been some leaders of nations or villages that would have used Dementors as both guards and weapons if they'd been available, but the concept still seems terribly excessive. I mean, not just monsters like Death Eaters but even non-violent criminals? And even that pales in comparison to the fact that the Kiss is used both as a form of capital punishment and as a weapon against escape attempts. Simply killing the person would seem like mercy in comparison."

Albus sighed. "I agree with you wholeheartedly, Iruka. Dementors are easily some of the most foul creatures to ever exist, and one of the few whose total eradication I would not object to. Unfortunately, attempts through the prison's history to replace its guards with a more humane solution have invariably failed, largely due to worries that the Dementors would then prey upon innocent civilian populations. There was also the fact that there were no recorded escapes... until now."

Iruka drew the connection immediately. "Sirius Black."

"His cell was discovered to be empty yesterday morning. It was completely intact, the door closed and locked, but its occupant had vanished. A search of the prison, the island, and the surrounding waters has produced no sign of Black alive, Kissed, or dead. The guards reported one odd occurrence prior to his escape: For the past several days, he had been heard repeating the sentence, 'He's at Hogwarts.'"

"The logical conclusion is that he is targeting Harry, attempting to finish what his master started." Iruka finished for him.

"And somehow, the Ministry of Magic has managed to reach that conclusion as well. Doing so clearly expended the entirety of their available reserve of logical thinking, however: Minister Fudge has for some inexplicable reason decided to deploy the Dementors of Azkaban to the mainland to search for Black and, if he should remain at large on 1st September, to guard Hogwarts itself. They have been given orders to Kiss Black immediately upon capture."

After gaping in horrified shock for several moments, the chuunin managed to croak out, "He's stationing those abominations around _children?!_ "

Albus nodded solemnly. "Amelia and I, among others, have urged the Minister against this course of action in the strongest of terms. Unfortunately, he feels a need to be seen as taking action, and is stubbornly disregarding the foolishness of the action he has chosen to take. We can but do our best to protect the children and pray that our efforts are sufficient."

"Setting aside Dementors for the moment," the Headmaster continued, "Harry must be informed of the likelihood that he may once again find himself targeted by a dark wizard. I beg you to impress upon him how ill-advised any attempt to confront such a dangerous man would be, and do your best to make clear the ultimately self-destructive nature of revenge. Keeping Harry safe from Black and the Dementors will be difficult enough without him actively seeking the former out."

"As far as warning Harry against revenge as a goal, I've already talked about that topic with most of my students in S.E.N. - the early life of Uchiha Sasuke is a useful cautionary tale."

"Ah, yes," Albus replied, "I recall you mentioning the man and his obsession with vengeance during his teens."

"You said there were two matters, Headmaster?"

"Indeed, Iruka, thank you for reminding me. I was going to bring the second matter to your attention at the next opportunity, and this meeting provided such. You apparently made quite an impression upon Lucius Malfoy several months ago, and it would seem he has now set out to make your life difficult. I recently became aware of some quiet political maneuvering by our former Head Governor, attempting to build support for a bill prohibiting the Sealing Arts as forbidden Dark magic. He has a willing ally in Undersecretary Umbridge, who would likely be the one sponsoring such a bill, but thus far they are encountering a significant barrier of apathy. Simply put, most witches and wizards know and care so little about Seals that many of those in the Wizengamot would consider such a bill to be a waste of their time and the Ministry's resources. Madam Umbridge is a ruthless political animal, however, and Lucius is both highly charismatic and quite willing to provide certain remunerative or repudiative incentives to bring people around to his way of thinking."

"In other words, he bribes and threatens people." Iruka commented dryly.

"I would never make such a crass accusation against Mr. Malfoy." A bit of the accustomed twinkle had returned to Albus's eyes. "Regardless, while I and other like-minded individuals will of course oppose it, such a bill might begin to gain traction. Until and unless such a proposal is abandoned or soundly defeated, you would do well to mind the image you present both of yourself and of the Sealing Arts. Obviously, any useful application you could find that would be beneficial or at least visible to the Wizarding public might well sway opinion strongly in your favor. Conversely, it would be problematic if a student were to be harmed in some way by a seal."

"I'll certainly keep that in mind," the chuunin reassured his employer. "One thing that might be worth pointing out is the similarity between fuuinjutsu and runic scripts: The languages and methods of scribing them may be different, but both really boil down to using arrangements of written characters to generate a desired effect. Pandora Lovegood and I have even managed some diagrams that use both, which could maybe be used to prove that they're essentially the same thing."

"Good thinking," Dumbledore replied, "that is indeed an argument I will make with some regularity. Other than those who would reject anything foreign by default, I doubt many will consider a novel method of runic magic to be worthy of prohibition. Still, politics being what it is, even if few actually agree with Mister Malfoy's agenda there could yet be many voting in support of it for other reasons. Beyond that, it might be best to keep our eyes and ears open for other moves, as I doubt Lucius will be easily deterred in his little vendetta against you."

Iruka nodded. "He's a bully, a bully whose power has been undermined and reduced. His natural response in such a situation is going to be to lash out against those who took power away from him, basically as a way of reclaiming the power he lost. Chances are he won't be truly happy until he has me either dead, destroyed, or thoroughly cowed - otherwise I'm still a threat, something he can't tolerate. I've encountered and heard of plenty of people cut from the same cloth." He deliberately did _not_ mention Vernon Dursley as being one of those people.

"A reasonable summation of that facet of the man's character," Albus agreed. "Between Lucius Malfoy, Sirius Black, and the Dementors, I believe we shall both have to borrow a phrase from my old friend Alastor Moody: 'Constant vigilance!'" The last two words were said boldly in a soft, growling false-shout, to chuckles from both wizards. Before leaving to warn Harry and the Grangers, Iruka made sure to get his employer's best guess at Black's capabilities and personality; given the past couple of years, it seemed likely that he'd run into the fugitive sooner or later, and he wanted to be ready.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

"I can't deny that I'm angry," Harry said once Iruka had finished warning him about Sirius Black, "and at least a bit scared too. When you told me about what Black did, a part of me was _happy_ that he was suffering with the Dementors, that he deserved to be hurt as badly as he hurt my family. But while it's true that I wouldn't mind getting my wand on him, or maybe a kunai, I'm not, well, I remember your stories about Sasuke and what hunting for revenge did to him. I don't want to become that person, attack or hurt the people I have _now_ all for the sake of avenging people I had _then_. I can't really guarantee or predict what I'd do if I had Black at my mercy, but I can at least promise I won't go looking for him unless it's to protect somebody."

"That's all we can really ask," Wendell Granger responded, "that and that you'll be careful of Black and those Dementor things, no matter what you end up doing."

Monica placed her hand over her husband's on the table. "From everything we've heard of your parents, I'm sure that they'd prefer you were safe and happy, even if that meant Black got off lightly."

"I'll be as careful as I can be," Harry agreed, "but if the last two years are any hint, I probably won't need to go looking for trouble; _it_ always seems to be looking for _me_. All I can do... all _we_ can do is take care and try to stay as aware of what's going on as we can. That and train, train, train..."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

About a week later Harry got a surprise, and unlike most in his life it was a pleasant one: He received a thick envelope from Remus Lupin, containing both a fairly long letter and a small stack of wizarding photos. Lupin, who had been a Gryffindor Prefect beside Lily then-Evans and a close friend of James Potter at Hogwarts, was one of the people Minerva McGonagall had been trying to contact on Harry's behalf. Her lack of success in reaching the man had been somewhat disheartening to the young Potter, as by all accounts Lupin was the person closest to both his parents that was still alive, sane, and free.

Finally, for whatever reason, contact had finally been established, and now Harry was getting first-hand accounts of his parents during their Hogwarts years. These weren't just the fond reminiscences of teachers recalling favored students, nor the remote perspectives of more distant acquaintances; these were the stories most people _didn't_ know, told by someone who was actually there at the time. That they were accompanied by photographs meant that the envelope's contents were priceless treasures to the twelve-year-old orphan. A few of the pictures were duplicates of those obtained from other sources, but many were more candid shots than had previously been shared, showing not posed moments nor special occasions but snapshots of everyday life, making them all the more precious in their ordinariness.

The first section of the letter itself was mostly occupied with introducing Remus Lupin to Harry Potter, including his close connection to both James and Lily. It also contained an apology for not having written sooner, explaining that he'd been living largely as a recluse for the past decade or so after having lost virtually all of his close friends and associates. He also hinted at having other reasons for avoiding contact that had now been effectively rendered moot, but didn't elaborate.

What followed this opening was promised to be the first of many stories of Harry's parents' Hogwarts years: Really, it was more a series of anecdotes about some of the many, _many_ times James Potter had tried (and failed) to woo Lily Evans. By halfway through reading Harry could barely stay in his chair for laughing so hard. The letter closed with an invitation to write back and a commitment to stay in contact over the summer and speak with Harry in person once term started at Hogwarts.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Soon after the letter from Remus Lupin came the Hogwarts letters. Hermione's excitement at the prospect of visiting the only all-magical community in Britain dimmed abruptly when she realized that, due to the need to keep Harry's current residence secret, the Grangers couldn't sign his Hogsmeade permission slip. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said, "I wish you could go to Hogsmeade too. Then again, with Sirius Black running around who-knows-where, it might not be safe for you to go there until he's caught. I can stay in the castle too, if you'd like, so you're not having to spend the whole day by yourself; we can always visit the village with Iruka-sensei during the summer."

"Don't worry about it, Hermione," Harry replied, "it's fine. You and Neville can tell me all about it when you guys get back, and I can always spend the time with Ginny, or Luna, or Iruka-sensei. Besides," he continued with a smirk, "it just means I'll have more time than you to work on homework!"

"Prat." The adults chuckled as Hermione swatted his shoulder. "See if I go and bring _you_ anything from Honeydukes now!"

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Another summons from the Headmaster once again had Iruka naming candy to a statue (and how quickly had _that_ somehow become _normal_ for him?) and riding the stairs up to the man's office. After the usual greetings and pleasantries, Albus got down to business.

"I have been fortunate enough to engage a man by the name of Remus Lupin as Defense Professor," he stated, "and judging by your look of recognition I presume that he has already contacted Mister Potter?"

"He has," Iruka confirmed. "Harry was excited to hear from someone that had been so close to both his parents, and they've already started up a correspondence. Mr.- or I guess that should be _Professor_ Lupin has already promised to speak with Harry face-to-face to share more stories."

Dumbledore nodded. "There is something which has almost certainly not been included in Remus's letters, but of which you and a number of other staff members will be made aware. Before I inform you, I must stress two things: First, this information is to be kept strictly secret. It is not truly sinister in nature, but sadly many would perceive it as such. Second, in spite of his condition and the common view of it, Remus Lupin is one of the kindest and most gentle men it has been my pleasure to know."

Taking a deep breath, the Headmaster continued. "When he was a young boy, Remus's father drew the ire of Fenrir Greyback, who at the time all but he believed to be nothing but a Muggle tramp. Unfortunately, Lyall Lupin was correct in spotting the signs of lycanthropy in Greyback, who tracked the Lupin family down at the next full moon and mauled their four-year-old son, infecting the child with his curse."

"In other words, Remus Lupin is a werewolf?" Iruka clarified. At Albus's nod, he shrugged. "He attended Hogwarts for seven years as a student, which means you've already got seven years' worth of practice at making sure his monthly transformations don't put anybody at risk. From what you've told me, he's responsible enough to make sure the protocols are followed and the students are safe. You don't have to worry about my reaction - I honestly view werewolves as sort of a more hard-luck kind of jinchuuriki." He'd explained about bijuu and their sealing into human hosts as part of describing Naruto's early years.

The elder wizard gusted out a sigh of relief. "That is good to hear. Other than the two of us, and obviously Remus, the four Heads of House are aware of his condition, as are Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey. Of those, the only one who may have a poor reaction is Severus Snape, who had a close encounter with Remus during one of his transformations when they were students. I am telling you both because I expect you would have figured it out anyway, due in part to the frequent contact you will have with Remus through Mr. Potter, and because I suspect that you would be better able than most of the staff at dealing with him in his transformed state should things go awry."

"Our precautions now will be somewhat different from those during Professor Lupin's student years," he continued. "At the time, there were no means available of containing a transformed werewolf save for a sufficiently sturdy structure from which they could not escape. We made use of an abandoned house in Hogsmeade, now widely known as the Shrieking Shack. What is _not_ widely known is that the terrifying noises which gave the Shack its moniker, and the reputation as the most haunted house in Britain, were actually produced by Remus Lupin on the nights of the full moon. More recently however, a potioneer by the name of Damocles Belby managed to create what is known as the Wolfsbane Potion. It is not a cure for lycanthropy; rather, if properly brewed and administered it permits the sufferer to retain their human mind and faculties throughout their transformation. With it, a werewolf is able to spend the night of the full moon simply resting in their canine form. Remus will take Wolfsbane for each full moon, and on the nights in question will secure the door to his quarters to avoid being disturbed by the uninformed. Severus will cover the Defense classes on the days their professor is indisposed."

"That... sounds like a nightmare to schedule," Iruka commented. "Why not make use of whatever faculty have free periods during those classes? It would spread the workload around a bit and make scheduling much easier, and I'm sure that people like Filius and Minerva could teach valuable Defense-related topics. Even I could fill in some, have the students doing exercises or doing dodging and accuracy drills; after all, it doesn't matter what spells you can cast if they don't hit or you're too tired to use them."

Albus stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That _would_ make scheduling more straightforward, yes, though I would still like to give Severus priority. He's wanted to teach Defense for some years now, and letting him handle a few classes will serve as a reward for his improved behavior, the carrot to go with the stick as the expression goes. In any case, everything else of importance for the coming year will be discussed in staff meetings, so there's little point in going over it now."

"A question before I go," the chuunin said, "I take it that Professor Lupin's lycanthropy is part of why he didn't contact Harry before now?"

"That is correct," the Headmaster replied. "Since the end of the war, a number of harsh anti-werewolf laws have been put in place, most written and sponsored by Undersecretary Umbridge. They heavily restrict the freedoms of those suffering from the condition, locking them out of many forms of employment, constraining their travel and activities, and even making it harder for them to have families. Had Remus met with Harry or even written to him, and this were discovered, there was a significant chance that he would have been sent to Azkaban at the very least, and possibly even put to death. Since they are not related to each other, the charge (inaccurate though it may be) would be that he had no legitimate reason to contact Harry, and therefore was attempting to corrupt or infect the child. Thankfully, now that he has been hired to teach here at Hogwarts, even the most strident of bigots in the Ministry would have difficulty arguing such a case. Remus has also long suffered from a deeply-rooted sense of shame regarding his lycanthropy, and may well have believed that Harry was better off without a werewolf in his life."

"I see," Iruka stated. "Well, his first letter had Harry smiling for days, and I mean smiling for real. Hopefully having both of them at Hogwarts will let Harry get to know the closest connection still available to his parents. I'm also kind of interested to meet the man; from the stories Harry has shared from his letters, he certainly seems to have a fun sense of humor."

"Ah, yes," Albus smiled fondly, "Those boys were quite the pranksters in their time, not unlike the Weasley twins today. Some of their tricks may have been in poor taste, or with an element of cruelty that the twins lack, but given events outside the castle at the time and the fact that most of their targets would go on to become Death Eaters..."

"Sounds like it wasn't entirely unwarranted if a few of their pranks crossed the line beyond just being funny, then."

"To a degree, perhaps. There was the one incident, in their sixth year, which in hindsight may have been the first sign that Sirius Black was headed down a darker path than was initially apparent. Such stories, though, would be better left to the telling of those more directly involved."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist slipping in a slight nod to "Potter's Protector" by mjimeyg.
> 
> As often happens, that last scene just refused to present a better place to end it, resulting in one of my signature "cut away before the end" bits.


	2. School

Much of the remaining summer passed without incident. There had been another joint birthday party for Neville and Harry at the Longbottom house, this time thankfully with no interruptions or complications. Wendell and Monica Granger had come along for the party this year, and had gotten their first look at the inside of a magical home. The question of whether or not to invite Ginny had been rendered moot, as the Weasleys had won an annual prize draw from the Daily Prophet and had used a portion of their winnings to gather the entire family on a trip to Egypt to visit Bill. Given Ginny's response to her oldest brother's visit after the Chamber incident, Iruka was glad she'd be spending more time with the young man; it could only help in her recovery from her ordeal.

On his next visit to the Granger home, the chuunin was confronted by a large ginger cat with a squashed-looking face. The feline seemed to scrutinize him briefly before turning and strutting back into the house with a flick of its bottle-brush tail. Hermione informed him that this miniature tiger was a half-kneazle named Crookshanks, that she had picked him up in Diagon Alley, and that he would be accompanying her to Hogwarts. She was also under the somewhat perplexing impression that he was cute and adorable.

It was at the end-of-summer staff meeting that Iruka first met Remus Lupin face-to-face. Despite being in his early thirties the wizard looked closer to the chuunin's age, his mousy brown hair streaked with grey and his pale, scarred face lined from worry and stress. It was a clear demonstration of the harsh toll lycanthropy took on a sufferer's body. His shabby clothing spoke of financial hardships as well, likely due to the endemic prejudice against werewolves. In spite of this, Lupin had a quiet friendliness about him, warmly greeting many of his fellow staff prior to the meeting.

The meeting itself was largely uneventful, save for the announcement of their newest Defense Professor and that Silvanus Kettleburn would be retiring with Hagrid taking his place teaching Care of Magical Creatures. Given the large man's fondness for dangerous creatures, and his naïveté about the threat they posed to people without his durability, Iruka offered his help in preparing and running classes until Hagrid had the hang of things. The last thing they needed, he thought to himself, was something like a dragon or a nundu being brought in for the Third Year classes.

As things were breaking up, Professor Lupin hailed Iruka, asking for his perspective on how Harry was doing. The chuunin shared some brief anecdotes from the past two years, sticking to those that didn't reveal any secrets. Before they parted, he made his own inquiry: "I was hoping we could speak a bit about Sirius Black." The scowl he got in response made it clear that this was a touchy subject for the werewolf, though that was hardly a surprise given the circumstances. "It'll be easier to defend Harry against him if I know more about the man - his capabilities, his skills, his strengths and weaknesses, his personality, and his likely goals and mindset."

"Black is, or at least was, a very capable wizard," Lupin replied. "If it required a wand, he was generally quite good at it, getting high scores on his O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s in Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense, along with Care of Magical Creatures, and he was no slouch as a duelist. If he's able to get his hands on a wand, he'll be very dangerous. For strengths, probably his ruthlessness and unpredictability, while recklessness would be his biggest weak point. As far as personality or mindset, I'm not sure I can really venture much; he was always fairly erratic and unpredictable, and that was before spending a dozen years surrounded by Dementors. There's also the fact that he clearly had all of us fooled for _years_ , even those who were closest to him. I always thought that he and James were like brothers in all but blood, that Sirius _hated_ Voldemort and the Dark Arts..."

"I know what it feels like," Iruka reassured him sadly, drifting off into recollection. "A colleague of mine, Touji Mizuki, was one of my closest friends. He had been for years, really. Then one day, he tricked one of our students into stealing a forbidden scroll full of dangerous secret techniques. I was the first one to find Naruto, the student, just before Mizuki tried to kill him. Apparently the man I thought was my friend had been plotting to steal the scroll and betray our village to its enemies, framing and murdering a thirteen-year-old boy in the process. He tried to kill both of us, and probably would have succeeded if Naruto hadn't done the impossible and beaten him with one of the techniques from the scroll, having somehow learned it in a matter of hours. That night revealed my best friend as a traitor, but it also marked the beginning for one of the most remarkable young men I've ever taught."

He continued, "I know the pain of having someone so close betray not only you, but everything you value and stand for, everything they themselves had fought to protect. It's been over twenty years, but that night is still one of the most pivotal points in my life."

Lupin looked shocked. "I suppose you do, at that," he finally said after several moments. "As much as I hate bringing this up, Albus said he was going to inform you of my... condition?"

Iruka nodded. "He told me several weeks ago. Why do you ask?"

"You seem strangely comfortable and friendly. Not many people are so at ease in the presence of a werewolf. Even people that have known me for years are still a bit wary around me, flinching if I get too close, but you're treating me like you do everyone else. It's not exactly something I'm used to."

"Professor Lupin, I have known, taught, and worked with and for people far more frightening than you are. I assume Albus was fairly light with the details of my background?"

"Yes," said the soft-spoken werewolf, "he mentioned you were from an isolated and presently unreachable region where magic is used differently, but he wasn't exactly forthcoming with more information. Then again," he added with a wry smile, "it's not exactly his place to go telling your life story, is it?"

"No, no it's not," Iruka chuckled. "Where I'm from, there are a set of nine powerful beings known as the 'bijuu', or Tailed Beasts. They're generally larger than the biggest dragons, and could obliterate a town the size of Hogsmeade in seconds. One of them attacked my village when I was young, and even the full might of our military could do little more than stall it; the attack caused terrible damage and killed a lot of people, including my parents."

"While we now know that they're all of at least human intelligence, and not inherently malevolent, bijuu used to be viewed as creatures of pure wrath and destruction. This, combined with some people's desire for power, led those people to seal the bijuu away. Before you ask, no, I'm nowhere near that level in my skills or power. Anyway, the most common vessels for containing bijuu were human beings. These hosts were known as 'jinchuuriki', which roughly translates to 'the power of human sacrifice' - in essence, they were considered to be a person sacrificed in order to lock away a bijuu. They protected their villages twice over - by locking away a dangerous creature, and by wielding the tremendous power they gained from their prisoner."

"Unfortunately," he continued, "jinchuuriki were rarely well-treated. Their tremendous power, one that they often had only partial control over, left them feared by many. Village leaders often considered jinchuuriki to be nothing more than weapons, powerful engines of destruction to be aimed at their enemies. Many people, out of ignorance, simply identified them with the beast they contained. That student I mentioned, Naruto? The bijuu that attacked our village hit on the night he was born, and his parents sacrificed their lives to seal it into their newborn son. Even though his status was supposed to be kept secret, it was something of an open secret within the village, which led to him being shunned and ostracized by almost everyone throughout his childhood. They all treated him as if he _was_ the beast he contained, and directed all their hate and their grief from the attack straight at an innocent child that had no idea _why_ everyone was so cruel to him."

"Naruto is one of my favorite former students, the current leader of our village, and the father of the boy that I'm fairly certain is responsible for accidentally sending me to Britain. I've seen him at his most dangerous, unleashing his full power against a man that appeared to have just killed the woman Naruto would go on to marry. It was easily one of the most terrifying experiences of my life, right up there with the night I saw the bijuu unleashed against our village. So I'm sorry, Professor Lupin," he grinned cheekily, "but your little once-a-month wolf problem just isn't all that scary to me."

Lupin's mouth opened and closed soundlessly several times before he finally managed to croak out, "I really need to have a chat with the Headmaster..."

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

As August ended, Sirius Black remained at large. This meant that, despite the fervent hopes of the staff (and quite a lot of students and others) the morning of the first of September saw the arrival of scores of Dementors surrounding Hogwarts. The first indication Iruka got of their approach was what he could only describe as a dark tingle at the edge of his awareness, a slight triggering of that danger sense that every veteran shinobi developed. Soon after that began, the sun seemed to become increasingly dim and cool, and gazing southward showed a mass of indistinct black shapes approaching the castle grounds. As they grew closer, the air took on a definite chill, and the chuunin could feel an almost genjutsu-like effect trying to twist his emotional state towards fear and despair.

Fortunately that was as bad as it got, as the monsters reached the edge of Hogwarts' wards and began to spread out around the school. While sadly the school's wards were unable to keep them out by force, they did at least mark a boundary they were forbidden from crossing: Headmaster Dumbledore had staunchly refused to allow the soul-sucking fiends onto the school's grounds or into the castle, though he clearly would have preferred they not get anywhere _near_ the students. The Dementors eventually settled mostly into clusters, their attention focused at the various entrances with individuals and smaller groups ranging about. Still, a faint touch of their draining effect remained on everyone in the castle.

This was going to be a hard year.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

The students filing into the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast were far more subdued than they'd been the previous two years. Many were looking pale and shaken, with the members of S.E.N. seeming to be among the worst-off. Professor Lupin, who had ridden the Express for security reasons, had shared a compartment with the five and reported that Dementors had stopped and searched the train. One of the black-cloaked abominations had apparently taken a particular interest in their compartment, and Harry had been especially badly affected, to the point of passing out briefly.

After the Sorting, Headmaster Dumbledore's usually jovial attitude fell away as he warned about the threat posed by the Dementors in one of the direst tones Iruka had ever heard him use. For those students that had seen the man for a couple years at least, this unaccustomed seriousness hammered home the importance of his point at least as much as his words did.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Iruka stood by Hagrid outside the new Care Professor's hut, waiting for the students to arrive for the man's first ever class as a teacher. The chuunin would be functioning as an assistant and occasional advisor, letting his colleague take the lead. It was the third-year Gryffindors and Slytherins (that same volatile combination again), and he planned to open with one of the more spectacular creatures for the year. Hippogriffs weren't the most harmless of creatures, but they _were_ impressive and reasonably safe as long as one followed a few simple rules: Show them respect, maintain eye contact, bow before approaching, and back away if they don't bow back. Hagrid had coached him on this, and introduced him to the herd, prior to the lesson.

Things didn't start on the most promising of notes, as it turned out that even the textbook Hagrid had chosen was animate and aggressive. "Use it as a reminder that even dangerous creatures can be safe and helpful if you handle them properly," Iruka advised the students after the new Professor told them how to calm their texts, shooting the large man a pointed look to hint that _he_ should be the one delivering this message in future classes.

Harry quickly gained the approval of the Hippogriff he was presented to, and even got a surprise bit of flying time in courtesy of Hagrid; Iruka would talk to the man after class about _asking_ first. After this successful demonstration, the rest of the students were allowed to gradually trickle forward to take their own turns. The original plan had been to just let them forth to mingle with the herd, but the chuunin had advised keeping tighter control over things at least until the Professor got some more experience.

It turned out to be Draco Malfoy who demonstrated the wisdom of Iruka's counsel on the matter, as he proceeded to do exactly what the students had so recently been told _not_ to do and directly insulted the same Hippogriff that had borne Harry aloft. Unsurprisingly to anyone with more brains than hair gel, the creature reared up angrily and slashed at the arrogant boy with its talons.

Iruka had begun moving almost as soon as the blonde nitwit had opened his mouth, and was easily able to get him clear of the danger zone unharmed while Hagrid moved in to corral the offended creature. "Twenty points from Slytherin for disobeying instructions, Mister Malfoy," the chuunin angrily barked out, "and a week's detention for endangering yourself and others and disrupting the lesson. You were explicitly told _not_ to insult the Hippogriffs under any circumstances, and yet you decided to do exactly that at the first opportunity. In the future, if a Professor warns you against a course of action, _listen to them!_ "

The Malfoy scion gaped in shock, though whether over the fact that he'd been attacked or the dressing-down he'd just received was anyone's guess. Finally gathering himself he glared at the Adjunct Professor in outrage. "When my father hears of this-"

"He will probably be wondering how his son failed to follow even simple instructions," the chuunin cut him off coldly. "And that will be another five points from Slytherin for your backtalk. If you cannot be bothered to take direction from your Professors, it begs the question of why you are even here. Rest assured that I will be informing Professor Snape of both your actions and your disrespect. Since you are clearly incapable of behaving yourself, you will spend the rest of this lesson reading from your textbook."

"Yeh'll be gettin' a zero fer the day, too, Malfoy," called Hagrid as he returned from calming the herd. "Keep it up an' yeh'll have ter find another class ter take; I won't have yeh puttin' yerself an' others in danger 'cause yeh can't do as yeh're told."

Scowling and grumbling, the young Slytherin stomped over to a nearby tree and sat down with a sneer, before attempting to read from his textbook without calming it first. After seeing him struggle for a bit, one of his housemates hesitantly reminded him to stroke the book's spine, and received an angry rebuke for their trouble before the boy grudgingly followed their advice. The rest of the class passed without further incident, though many of the students were noticeably more timid around the Hippogriffs now that they'd seen a clear demonstration that they were neither harmless nor placid.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Professor Snape was certainly unhappy (well, more so than usual) at the report of his student's behavior. "I will be sure to _remind_ Mister Malfoy of the dangers of ignoring his instructors," he drawled angrily, "and inform his parents myself to ensure they receive an accurate report of events. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

The following Thursday, Harry's class was introduced to a Boggart in Defense Against the Dark Arts. This particular Dark creature was a shapeshifter that fed on fear, and thus took the form of whatever would scare the target most. The defense, apparently, was a specific charm that would alter the form taken according to the caster's will - as laughter was somehow painful to Boggarts, the goal was to force it into a form you found funny rather than scary. Hermione was the only S.E.N. member to face the creature during their class; for her it took the form of Minerva McGonagall telling her she'd failed all her classes and was being expelled. Her counter caused the false Minerva to begin meowing like a cat and playing with a toy mouse. Professor Lupin informed Harry and Neville after the class that he felt it best that neither Lord Voldemort nor Bellatrix Lestrange make a sudden appearance in front of a bunch of students. Iruka had been impressed to hear that Harry thought it would much more likely take the form of a Dementor for him. When asked for suggestions on how to make a Dementor funny, something Harry was really struggling with, the chuunin's best idea at the time was to turn its cloak bright orange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they're still celebrating Hermione's birthday. Since not a lot has changed, recounting the little party wouldn't be very interesting - this isn't Harry Crow with its elaborate birthdays.
> 
> I changed what Hermione did to her Boggart because the canonical version wasn't funny, just less threatening. I'd like to think that my version would be worth at least a chuckle from those witnessing.


	3. Fright Night

The first full moon of the term (technically the second, as Professor Lupin had needed to beg off soon after the Leaving Feast because of his transformation) saw various faculty members covering Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Iruka ended up teaching four of these lessons, none of which included members of S.E.N., and each went similarly:

"Good morning, everyone," he said to the group of fourth-year Hufflepuffs and Slytherins, "Professor Lupin has been taken ill, so you've got me covering for today's lesson. We're going to be almost purely practical work, and I won't be assigning any _required_ homework, but I will be giving you something to do going forward that will make you not only better at defending yourself, but also healthier."

"I'd like to start off with a question for all of you: What is the first step in defending yourself against a threat?" Several hands rose in the air, and he pointed to a Hufflepuff student.

"Cast a shield spell?" the boy ventured

"Nope," Iruka replied, "that comes later."

"Cast a curse?" came from a Slytherin girl.

"Also no, that kind of response is around the same time as a shield spell would be. Other ideas?" A lot fewer hands were still up.

"Apparate away?" tried a boy in green-and-silver.

"No, but take one point for Slytherin for a decent, if overlooked response; if you can get away from a threat, be it person or beast, that's often the best action to take. The first step to defending yourself is _noticing the threat_. You can't protect yourself effectively from an attack you don't know is coming. Technically one could say that preparing yourself is the true first step, but that's more something that you do long before any threat comes. Regardless, remaining aware of your surroundings lets you notice danger sooner, giving you more time to react."

"The second step," he continued, "is to _identify_ the threat. You'd defend yourself very differently from a Dark wizard than you would from a creature like a Boggart. Once you know you're in danger and from what, _then_ you respond to the danger as appropriate."

"Also, fighting against an attacker, human or not, should be your last resort. Only fight if you can't escape, or if you have to protect something or someone. Never start a fight unless you either need to do so or have an overwhelming advantage."

"Those are the basics that are so basic many instructors don't even think to teach them. Now," the chuunin said with a toothy grin, "it's time to get to the first part of the practical - exercise! I can see by your expressions that you're confused. What does exercise have to do with Defense? The answer, children, is _stamina_. If you're in good shape, you can fight longer or run away longer. I had a student back in my homeland who defeated many powerful opponents in large part by outlasting them; they'd be tiring out and getting weak and sloppy while he was still going strong. So, to work on your stamina," his grin became even wider, "it's time for some calisthenics!"

Twenty minutes later, Iruka was fairly certain that at least a quarter of the class was trying to murder him with their eyes. Witches and wizards were mostly fairly indolent, doing things by magic or having things done for them rather than putting hard work into them, so only a handful of students weren't looking half-dead by the time he ran them all through cooldown exercises. "If you do this at least once or twice a week, you'll soon notice it getting easier, and it won't be too long before you start feeling the benefits elsewhere as well. I won't demand you do it, and couldn't even if I wanted to, but I will recommend keeping fit. Even if you never need it to defend yourselves, I'm sure your boyfriends and girlfriends will appreciate the effects on your physique." He definitely got a kick out of the sudden epidemic of blushes.

"Now, for the rest of the class, we'll be doing some drills. Everyone find a partner, and stand across from each other in two lines five meters apart. Make sure to space yourselves out far enough that your outstretched fingertips can't reach those of your neighbors on either side." As the students began pairing off, he continued. "When I say 'go' this line," he indicated the group to his left, "will begin casting low-powered stinging hexes at their partners. The partners will attempt to dodge; no shields, counterspells, or counterattacks. Once one of your spells misses or is dodged, put your wand away - it's your partner's turn to cast at you and your turn to dodge. Keep switching back and forth like this."

"This is to help you train your accuracy and your ability to dodge unfriendly spells. After all, it doesn't matter how powerful a spell is if it never hits."

The rest of the class was spent on the accuracy/evasion drill. Iruka did have to step in a few times when someone cast with too much power, or used another spell, but by the end of the class he was satisfied that he'd given the students a start at becoming more able to keep themselves safe.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Things apparently became a bit tense among the third-year Gryffindors around mid-October: Crookshanks had begun hunting after Ronald Weasley's elderly pet rat Scabbers, leaving the boy angry at Hermione for her cat's actions. She, in turn, defended with the fact that cats naturally hunted rodents, and that they were on the approved pets list, unlike rats. Neither had managed to sway the other, and it had led to a flare-up of the acrimony that had been quietly simmering in the background for the past two years. Needless to say, it wasn't a fun situation, and Ginny was in a particularly difficult position due to her friendship with the older bookworm. It also didn't help Ron's temper that his sister was starting to favor Hermione's side of the argument over his, which just meant that the youngest Weasley was also in a less-than-stellar mood.

"At least he's stopped bragging and going on about his new wand," the young redhead groused during weekend training. "I mean sure, he was using an old wand of Charlie's before, and it's nice he's got a wand of his own now, but he just wouldn't shut up about the bloody thing!"

"D'you think that might be why he was having so much trouble in Charms and Transfiguration?" Harry asked. "When I got my wand, Ollivander told me that I'd never get as good results from using a wand that didn't choose me."

"It's possible," Luna replied dreamily, "though personally I suspect it's due to Wrackspurts. Ronald has always had a particularly severe infestation."

While his students were mostly paying attention to the byplay, Iruka noticed Neville looking oddly downcast. A suspicion developed in the chuunin's mind, and he whispered a question to Filius during the next spellcasting portion of the training session. After subtly taking a good look at the boy's wand, the Charms Professor gave the shinobi a firm nod.

When the session ended, as the students were on their way back to their Houses, Iruka called out, "Neville, could you hold up a moment?"

The young Gryffindor waved his friends off and approached the two Professors. "What is it, Sensei?"

"I feel like I need to ask this, Neville: The wand you use - it was someone else's first, wasn't it?"

While he may have been growing more confident and self-assured over the past two years, his reaction to this question proved that the timid version of Neville Longbottom that first arrived at Hogwarts was far from being completely banished. He seemed to hunch in on himself a bit, his head drooping, as if expecting to be punished or berated. "It's my dad's;" the boy said quietly, "Gran says it's a way to honor him, that it's a powerful wand for a powerful wizard."

Filius shook his head. "That is not how wands work, and Madam Longbottom should know this. Wands _must_ be individually matched to the witch or wizard in order for both wand and wielder to work at their fullest potential. I'd thought your struggles in my class due to a mental block, a lack of confidence in your own magic, and your marked improvement over time seemed to validate that hypothesis. Knowing that you're using a legacy wand, though... That certainly explains your difficulties, and makes your progress quite impressive. If you're this capable with an ill-suited wand, I should very much like to see what you can do with a wand of your own."

Approaching the student that already towered over him, the Charms Professor continued gently. "Mister Longbottom... Neville... That wand chose your father. _You_ are not your father, nor are you your mother, although you bear aspects of both of them - you are your own wizard. If you wish to honor your parents' love and heroism, do it by becoming the best wizard _you_ can be. If you agree, one of us will speak with your grandmother about getting you to Ollivander's at the soonest opportunity to find a wand of your own."

Neville's head rose slowly, and he measured both Filius and Iruka with a gaze mixing hope and trepidation before giving a single hesitant nod.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

With a Hogsmeade weekend coming up shortly, it was decided that Iruka and Neville would meet Madam Longbottom in the Three Broomsticks, then Floo from there to the Leaky Cauldron and walk to Ollivander's, where they were greeted by the proprietor. "Ah, Iruka Umino, beech and unicorn hair, eleven inches, springy, and Augusta Longbottom, elm and dragon heartstring, ten and a quarter inches, stiff, welcome. And this must be young Neville? I had expected to see you over two years ago, but better late than never. May I ask what wand you have been using until now?"

"Um, my father's," the nervous boy replied.

"Hmm... Frank Longbottom's wand, aspen and unicorn hair, twelve and one quarter inches, firm. May I see it?" Neville hesitantly, reverently handed the wand over. "Ah, yes, it has been quite well cared-for, still in excellent shape, but it still pines for your father's hand. No, this wand is unlikely to ever recognize any master but him, not unless things change rather drastically; I dare say it's probably been giving you a great deal of trouble in your spellcasting. Perhaps you should hold this, Madam Longbottom," the wandmaker said while passing the wand to the witch, "while we find a wand that chooses your grandson as its master?"

It only took about a dozen tries before they found a match. As soon as Neville's hand closed around the handle, his eyes widened and his mouth gaped as a warm wind that smelled of freshly-turned earth swirled around the shop. "Cherry and unicorn tail hair," Ollivander announced, "thirteen inches, resilient. A wand suited for a wizard of great potential." Madam Longbottom scowled, prompting the man to continue with a bit more haste. "Many European witches and wizards dismiss cherry wood because of the tree's showy blossoms, but such wands garner great prestige among the wizards of Japan, and are in fact capable of truly frightening power. This wand is neither frivolous nor ornamental, nor would it have chosen a wizard of less than exceptional potency. In fact, I would advise you, Mister Longbottom, to take some care in your spellcasting until you grow accustomed to your new focus, as your spells will likely manifest with far greater power than you have previously experienced."

Iruka gave a polite cough. "There's... well, there's another aspect to cherry trees that I ought to mention: They all bloom around the same time, and the blossoms last for only a couple of weeks at most before the petals fall. It can be spectacularly beautiful, but is also very brief. Because of this, my people view the cherry blossom as an emblem of mortality, the fragility and brevity of life, and of the beauty of impermanence. Such concepts are, sadly, not as foreign to Neville as to most of his peers." He gave his student a sad smile, one mirrored by Madam Longbottom as she placed a hand proudly on her grandson's shoulder.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Shortly after the Halloween Feast that night, the castle was put on high alert. Apparently Sirius Black had somehow made it not only to Hogwarts, not only into the castle proper, but all the way to the portrait guarding the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. When she had refused him entry, he slashed at her canvas with a knife. All of this was discovered by the Gryffindor students returning to their House after the feast. Iruka spent the night protectively watching over the student body, who had all been gathered in the Great Hall and were sleeping in purple sleeping bags conjured by the Headmaster.

"Shouldn't one or two of us stay here, Albus?" the chuunin had asked. "If Black is so dangerous, I'm not comfortable leaving the students to defend themselves. I have the least knowledge of the castle, so I wouldn't be much help at finding all the hiding places a Hogwarts graduate might know."

Dumbledore had considered for a few moments. "A good point, Iruka. You remain here and watch over the children. Keep them safe, and handle any other matters which require adult intervention. The rest of us shall search in pairs, so that those who aren't fighters will be safe and those who can fight will have extra eyes and ears aiding them."

The rest of the staff had soon been paired up and departed, and Iruka secured the Hall doors before taking up a position that gave him a good view of the Hall while also being in prime position to ambush someone coming in.

Fortunately, the night passed without further incident; unfortunately, Black made a clean getaway.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

The Headmaster called a staff meeting the next day to discuss the previous night's incident. After everyone had confirmed that they'd seen no signs of Sirius Black, Iruka floated a question: "How could he have gotten so far? Obviously he's got some method of bypassing Dementors, since he managed to escape Azkaban, but to get all the way to Gryffindor Tower unseen and unimpeded?"

The first response was Severus Snape shooting Remus Lupin a venomous glare. "Likely he had inside help."

Albus shook his head. "As I said last night, Severus, I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it. Regardless, the portraits, ghosts, and elves reported seeing nothing out of the ordinary last night, with the obvious exception of the Fat Lady. I am afraid that Hogwarts Castle is a hive of secret passages and hidden ways, one that even after nearly a century I have yet to fully explore and understand. It is quite possible that the man knew of routes that would avoid many of the eyes and ears of the castle, particularly given his experience as a prankster."

This gave the chuunin an idea. "Professor Lupin, you and Black were part of the same group of pranksters - do _you_ have any ideas of how Black got in and out?"

"A few," the werewolf admitted, "the four of us mapped out a lot of the secret passages into, out of, and within the castle while we were students. There were so many that I've probably forgotten a lot of them, but I'll share what I do remember. The trouble is, can we really go around blocking off all those passages? A lot of them serve as useful shortcuts for getting around the castle, and I'm sure the students use them today as much as my generation did."

"There are too many of them for monitoring charms to be practical," Filius chimed in, "even if we divided them equally among the staff. We'd all be getting scores of alerts every time classes changed. It might be possible to restrict the charms to only operate after-hours, but that wouldn't have made any difference last night; Black was in and out before the Feast had even ended."

"Maybe we should start by focusing on ways into and out of the castle?" Iruka suggested. "It won't matter if he can get _around_ the castle unseen if he can't get _in_ in the first place. That would make things much harder for him without affecting the students much; we could just tell them that for security reasons, the outer doors are being locked at night. A few couples will miss out on moonlit evening strolls by the lake, but those are probably less romantic than they used to be thanks to the Dementors."

"That does seem a reasonable compromise," Albus said as several other staff nodded their agreement. "Very well, we will lock the castle's entrances from dinner through breakfast, and block off all known passages into and out of the school, until Sirius Black has been apprehended. I shall inform the students at lunch today."

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

While they waited for the Fat Lady to calm down enough to allow repairs to be made, the entrance to Gryffindor Tower was being operated by a particularly irritating portrait of a man named Sir Cadogan. The painted knight was obsessed with challenging people to duels, and changed the password to the portal with such frequency that students were often caught on the hop.

Harry was now being followed around the castle almost continuously by the staff (and occasionally Percy Weasley). He was chafing at it fairly badly, though Iruka volunteering to handle it more often seemed to make the whole thing more bearable. The third-year Gryffindor would probably have gone insane if he hadn't managed to convince his Head-of-House to allow him to attend Quidditch practice as long as an adult supervised. Even over two years out of the cupboard, he was still understandably not fond of any form of confinement, and flying was still his favorite form of relaxation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That staff meeting scene was written by basically having the characters voice my thought process in close to real time. Seriously, whatever ideas or arguments I came up with ended up in the mouth of a character before I did much consideration further.
> 
> Between car shopping, Thanksgiving, and various other interruptions, I have gotten literally no writing done in the last few weeks. Times like this are why I keep such a large buffer of un-posted chapters.


	4. Intrusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A question for my readers, since I'm honestly a bit stumped: How do you investigate a crime when the only available expert on key evidence is a suspect because they're an expert on said evidence? Madam Bones would really like some ideas. Edited to add: This is actually not Sirius-related.

As the first Quidditch match of the season approached, the inhabitants of Hogwarts Castle received a clear lesson in why Scots Gaelic (the local regional language) had so many terms for inclement weather and its effects on people. That November was cold, dark, dreary, rainy, and just generally foul. It was worse than at any point since Iruka had arrived in Britain, and the prevailing theory in the castle was that the Dementors were at fault.

The weather was particularly nasty on the day of the game itself: A fierce thunderstorm was attempting to simultaneously blow away and drown anyone who dared step outside. Virtually everyone in the stands was, to use the local term, drookit. Even so, many of the students were still cheering and excited as the players zoomed through the rain and wind, the thrill of the game heightened by the millennium-old rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

It was as Harry was shooting after the elusive Snitch that Iruka realized that the everpresent pull on his mind and chakra from the Dementors was growing, and doing so alarmingly quickly. "Filius," he whisper-shouted to his colleague, grabbing the Charms Professor by the shoulder, "Dementors!"

The diminutive duelling champion frowned in confusion and concentration for a moment, before his eyes widened in horror. " **Expecto Patronum**!" he shouted, as a glowing silver weasel shot out of his wand. It was joined seconds later by a silvery phoenix, and several seconds after that by a several other ethereal animals.

All of these protector spirits were soon streaking down towards the pitch, where dozens of black-robed figures were gliding out into the stadium as the temperature plummeted. Even with multiple castings of the Patronus Charm active, there were too many Dementors and too many nearby people for the monsters' auras to be blocked completely. Iruka felt cold, weak, and miserable; the scars from Mizuki's blades began to ache, and he could almost hear the roar of a gigantic nine-tailed fox spirit. Thankfully the guards of Azkaban were soon driven into retreat, and their effects receded as they withdrew.

Madam Hooch, meanwhile, had blown her whistle and ordered a time-out before flying up to the faculty seats and speaking with Albus. After a brief discussion, she flew away as the Headmaster's magically-amplified voice boomed over the stadium: "Today's game will be halted until such time as we can guarantee that the Ministry's Dementors will not be making another appearance. Students, please exit the stands in an orderly fashion and follow the staff back to the castle; hot chocolate will be provided in the Great Hall, and Madam Pomfrey will wish to see anyone suffering from more severe Dementor exposure. I would also ask the Prefects and other upper-year students to assist their juniors with drying spells. Thank you all." Iruka was close enough to see the barely-restrained fury under his employer's gentle demeanor. He suspected that Minister Fudge and whoever was in charge of the Dementor deployment would be hearing from the Grand Sorcerer very soon...

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

A badly shaken Harry had been dragged by his friends (and Sealing teacher) to see the school's resident Healer. "Dementors!" she ranted to nobody in particular, "As if Quidditch weren't dangerous enough, as if I didn't get enough students in here with concussions and broken bones and all manner of other injuries, now those fools at the Ministry have decided to add Dementors to the mix! If it weren't for my Healer's Oaths I'd be half-tempted to take my wand to whoever was supposed to be controlling those horrid creatures." After that point she settled down into angry grumbling while checking over those worst-affected by the intruders on the pitch.

"You too, Professor?" Madam Pomfrey asked as Iruka stepped up after all of the students had been checked over and pronounced fit enough to join their fellows in the Great Hall.

"I've never been that close to them before," he explained, "so I don't know if my experience was typical or a more severe case. Some old injuries that haven't hurt since before the current students were born started to ache, and I thought I heard something..."

The mediwitch tutted sympathetically. "I take it that these injuries and this sound are from particularly... _unpleasant_ incidents in your past?" Iruka nodded. "Reminders of past trauma or other troubled memories are a common symptom of Dementor exposure. Those who have particularly bad experiences in their background tend to be more susceptible to those demons' aura. In cases of severe exposure, victims can be driven into a sort of fugue state, trapped in their worst memories; this _usually_ only happens to prisoners in Azkaban's high security wing, but it can occur in other cases as well."

"The more I learn about those monsters, the more horrified I become that this country's government actually _employs_ them," the chuunin said sourly.

"You'll hear no argument from me on that point."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Given the lack of reporters at the Quidditch match, the lead story of the next morning's Daily Prophet came as something of a shock: ' _MINISTRY DEMENTORS ATTACK HOGWARTS QUIDDITCH GAME!_ ' screamed the headline, under which the subtitle stated, ' _BOY-WHO-LIVED BADLY AFFECTED_ '. The article itself, penned by Rita Skeeter, was surprisingly accurate when discussing the Dementors themselves, describing how they had invaded the pitch despite being forbidden from entering Hogwarts' grounds.

From there, the facts began to thin out and the insinuations started to take over, as it noted that the school's Charms teacher had cast the first Patronus, rather than its Headmaster or Defense teacher, and questioned how it was that someone of Albus Dumbledore's abilities was not the first to recognize the threat to his students. Skeeter had somehow discovered that Harry had been among those worst-affected, despite being relatively far from the Dementors, and even mentioned hearing that he'd 'fainted in fright' when one invaded his compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Her description of these events painted the third-year as delicate, almost tragic. Iruka could already see several Slytherin students pointing to the article, looking over at his pupil, and snickering, while a number of girls throughout the Great Hall were sighing dramatically and casting sympathetic looks towards the boy. Given what the chuunin had seen of fangirls in the past, it wouldn't surprise him if one or two offered to 'comfort' the young Gryffindor.

While the article as a whole was mostly decrying Ministry incompetence, reading 'underneath the underneath" highlighted the more subtle (by Wizarding standards) digs at Harry and Albus. Of course, complaining about government incompetence was so common that those aspects would soon fade from many people's minds, leaving only the quieter messages they concealed.

Iruka just hoped that the initial public outrage might help the Headmaster gain some traction with Fudge on the Dementor issue.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

At their next private session, Harry confessed a somewhat confused set of emotions towards the Dementors. He was still very much afraid of them, and hated what they did to him and to others, but that was now tinged with a slight desire to return to that state. Apparently, during the attack at the Quidditch match, he'd nearly passed out again from the creatures' auras, and again had heard a woman's screaming voice as they approached. This time, however, the screams had been slightly clearer, and the words he'd been able to make out (combined with what Madam Pomfrey had said about Dementors dredging up bad memories) led him to realize that he was actually hearing his mother's last moments. On one side, it was a horrific way to remember one's parents, and a terrible method of accessing that memory; on the other, it was the only memory he had of his mother's voice, his only direct connection to either of his parents.

By the time Harry headed out, Iruka knew the boy was still conflicted in his feelings, but at least they'd gotten to the point where he had a clearer understanding of what he felt and why. Given the Dementors' strong influence on them (and a couple of other S.E.N. members), the chuunin resolved to ask Professor Lupin about supplementary lessons.

The Defense Professor agreed to meet with Iruka and his students and begin teaching them about the Patronus charm, though he didn't think they'd be able to get far before winter hols. "Even then," he warned, "there's no guarantee that any of you will be able to cast a corporeal Patronus. It's a difficult spell, at least N.E.W.T.-level, and even some Aurors can't pull it off reliably. Perversely enough, it's even harder to cast in the presence of Dementors, exactly when you need it most. Second- and third-year students, even gifted ones, aren't likely to be able to produce more than a misty shield."

"Even that," Iruka replied, "even if only one of them can cast it, is more of a defense than they have now. I'm especially worried about Harry; those Dementors seem to take a disturbing interest in him, and with his sensitivity to them..." Lupin nodded soberly.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

November turned to December and the temperature outside the castle (and inside, in many places) continued to fall. As the fall term was coming to an end, Iruka found himself wandering through Hogsmeade while chatting with several of his colleagues. Their pleasant mood was somewhat soured when they ran into Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.

"Why Deputy Headmistress," the portly wizard called, "what a pleasure to see you today!" As he greeted Minerva with the bland congeniality employed by politicians everywhere, his eyes flicked to the others. Though Filius's presence brought a brief look of recognition, the Minister's gaze slid past Hagrid as though he weren't even there (which was actually somewhat impressive, given how hard it was to _not_ notice Rubeus Hagrid) before touching on Iruka with a slight spark of well-hidden disgust.

"Minister," Minerva nodded with a tight smile. "What brings you to Hogsmeade today?"

"Oh, I just felt like checking up on a few things personally," the Minister replied pleasantly, "the hunt for Black, mostly, though I was about to check up on a tipple to warm up at the Three Broomsticks before heading up to take lunch with Dumbledore." His face brightened, as if he'd just had an idea. "Why don't you come and join me? My treat!"

A brief round of looks passed between the group of teachers before Minerva gave another polite smile. "We'd be delighted, Minister."

Soon enough the five of them were seated at the nicer of the two pubs in Hogsmeade. Iruka's attention was immediately drawn when one of the decorated trees floated into a new position, and he saw it moving to hide a table at which Neville and Hermione sat with a conspicuous Harry-sized gap between them. It was a decent bit of improvisation, even if it was a little clumsy in execution - he'd have to give them some pointers later.

The chuunin's attention was drawn back to his own table as their drinks arrived: Minerva and Filius had chosen non-alcoholic beverages, not wanting to drink in front of the students, and Iruka had followed suit with a hot chocolate. Hagrid's order of four pints of ale had caused Fudge's expression to tighten slightly, but it was probably because of the expense rather than the choice of beverage considering he himself selected rum. The Minister ended up inviting Madam Rosmerta to join them at the table as well, though Iruka wondered whether his reasons were social, political, or related to her low-cut top.

In the conversation that followed, the pub's proprietor made some pointed comments regarding the Dementors' effect on her business and the townspeople. Fudge's reply that the monsters were angry over being barred from Hogwarts' grounds didn't win him any sympathy from those present. Proving that he had at least _some_ skills as a politician, the man quickly pivoted the discussion onto the topic of Sirius Black. When they reached the topic of the Fidelius Charm, Iruka spoke up.

"I've heard of that spell," he ventured, "but the way the Potters used it left me a bit confused. Why couldn't James or Lily Potter have been the Secret Keeper, and who actually cast the charm?"

Filius's eyes glinted with his enthusiasm at imparting knowledge. "Second question first, I can only assume it was Lily who cast the Fidelius; it's a tricky spell, close to if not Mastery-level, but she was easily one of the most brilliant Charms students it's been my pleasure to teach. It had to be her or James, in any case, because part of the casting involves giving the secret over, so it has to be a secret that belongs at least in part to the caster. I could place the charm upon my own office, for example, but not yours. As for being their own Secret Keeper, well, that's one of the real limitations of the Fidelius Charm: If the Secret Keeper is hidden by the spell, it puts a growing strain on the magic. They can stay for brief periods, but the longer they remain hidden the greater the strain, to the point where it will eventually overcome the caster's skill and power and the concealment will fall completely. As tragic as the results were in this case, it's likely for the best - imagine someone being able to totally hide their existence from everyone, the ways that could be abused..." Everyone at the table shuddered at the thought.

Shaking his head to clear it, the tiny Professor continued. "Regardless, those are two of the main limitations on the Fidelius charm, the third being that the power required to cast it successfully rises with several factors - how obvious the secret is, the size of the object or area being hidden, the number of people who already know the secret prior to its being hidden, and their familiarity with it. Even Merlin couldn't have hidden a large public location like Hogwarts or the Ministry. Other factors can complicate it further, of course, but those are the major ones. It's really a pity that it's such a difficult charm, since I'm sure everyone would like to be able to keep at least a small hiding spot for things like valuables or important documents."

The Minister's eyes briefly glazed over at Filius's last thought, before he picked his narrative back up. Iruka couldn't help but scowl at the recounting of Black's treachery, knowing all too well the pain (emotional and physical) of such a betrayal. Hagrid's rant brought up some questions that the chuunin resolved to ask Albus about later, but for now he was focused on absorbing the first-hand account. It seemed a bit odd that Black would be helpful and not even attempt some sort of sabotage or sneak attack, especially given Hagrid's lack of a wand, but then again giants were quite resistant to magic. For a wizard, picking a fight with a half-giant at close range would be practically suicide. Beyond that, shock and madness both tended to make people act less predictably.

Peter Pettigrew's demise highlighted just how dangerous a magic-user Black could be, prompting another question from Iruka. "Excuse me, Minister, but is there any indication of whether or not Black might have a wand? Any reports from someone that their wand's gone missing, or a sighting of him using magic?"

Fudge shook his head. "No, thank Merlin, so far there's been no reports suggesting that he's gotten his hands on a wand. I think I may put out an announcement in tomorrow's Prophet reminding people to report missing wands to the DMLE, though, just to be safe."

As the story wound down, the group departed and went their separate ways. On his way out, Iruka gave a meaningful glance at Hermione and Neville, both of whom looked a bit sheepish under his gaze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I got the term correct (and please correct me if I didn't), "drookit" means "soaked to the skin" in Scots Gaelic (or Scottish, or whatever else you want to call it). It's a useful word, and one I wish English had picked up as a loanword.
> 
> Also yes, that's right, Rita's buzzing around. What, you thought that anti-fuuinjutsu bill was Lucius's only play?
> 
> My original plan had been for Harry to fall from his broom as in canon, and Iruka to take advantage of the heavy rain to cushion his landing with a water jutsu, in the process showing ninjutsu to everyone. However, no plan survives first contact with the characters, and I realized that Iruka would act as something of a Dementor canary: He's got enough bad experiences to be more strongly affected than most, plus his mental discipline (especially monitoring himself for genjutsu and the like) lets him note a more subtle level of effect that others would miss, and long-ingrained shinobi practice means he's particularly aware of sudden, anomalous changes (since for ninja, these usually mean someone's about to try and kill you). Detecting the Dementors' approach in advance meant Patronus charms being cast early, which blunted and shortened the attack. On top of this, Harry is slightly more Dementor-resistant than in canon because of his training with Iruka; it's not enough to keep him from passing out on the Express, but here when combined with the earlier and stronger Patronus response it meant that he managed to stay on his broom, even if he's still badly affected.
> 
> The limitations stated above for the Fidelius Charm are my own invention, designed to make sense of how it is (and isn't) used in canon. For example, only the Flamels could have cast it to hide the Philosopher's Stone, and neither of them had the raw power necessary to conceal such a famous and magically potent item. Iruka's experience with Mizuki makes him much less skeptical of the idea that Sirius betrayed the Potters, given the parallels between the two cases.


	5. Map

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to reviewer Fly_by_n1ght for noticing that this chapter was missing!

Discussing Harry's clandestine visit to Hogsmeade would have to wait a while longer, as the Hogwarts Express took the students back to London for their winter break the very next morning. Several Patronus-capable staff members took the train as well, to defend against further "searches" by the Dementors. Harry would be met at the platform by Xeno and Pandora Lovegood, accompanying them to the Rook for a while before being taken home to the Grangers'.

After giving the kids a couple of days to settle in and spend with family (something the Granger parents were very gradually becoming for Harry), Iruka decided it was time to have a talk with his briefly-wayward student. A walk beyond the castle's wards, one Apparition, a walk and a knock later, he was face-to-face with Wendell Granger. "Professor, what a pleasant surprise! Or at least I hope it's pleasant; there's no trouble, is there, Black-sightings or the like?"

"Nothing so dire," the ninja chuckled lightly, "though I _do_ need to have a few words with Harry and possibly Hermione, something you or your wife should probably be part of as well."

"Well in that case, you'd better come in. Actually, you'd better come in regardless; it's bloody cold out today. Harry! Hermione!" the dentist called deeper into the house as they walked in, "Professor Umino in the kitchen!"

The two children descended the stairs with a sound reminiscent of the world's most uncoordinated pony at a canter before half-jogging into the kitchen. "What is it, Iruka-sensei?" Hermione asked, before visibly halting herself from launching into one of her streams of interrogation.

Iruka favored his student with a small proud smile before addressing both teens. "Well, it starts during the most recent school visit to Hogsmeade." Harry's upbringing, such as it was, showed here as the boy showed no hints of nervousness that could be caught by most untrained eyes. "Several of the staff were having a drink with Minister Fudge in the Three Broomsticks when one of the Christmas trees apparently decided to relocate itself. I asked Professor Sprout about it, of course, when I got back to the castle. After all, I wasn't aware of any form of ambulatory shrub that would be safe around students, and she couldn't think of one that fit either. We checked with Madam Rosmerta, and she swore up and down that she'd just cut some ordinary firs, and I was going to ask you if you'd seen any details that would be useful given how close you were, but I should probably stop before your father sprains something."

Sure enough, Wendell Granger was sitting there very obviously trying not to burst out laughing at Iruka's affectedly-innocent delivery, and finally let loose with a brief bit of cackling once it was clear the jig was up. His daughter simply crossed her arms and huffed, "Honestly..."

"But yes," the ninja continued, "I saw you and Neville, along with a gap that I'm reasonably certain held Harry until around the time we came in. Your idea of gaining some cover wasn't a bad one, necessarily, but moving a brightly-decorated tree is the kind of thing that draws attention, exactly what you wanted to avoid right then. I suppose I'll be working a lesson on concealment and misdirection into an upcoming group practice. Anyway, Harry, I wanted to know how you managed to get down to the village and back without getting caught by Filch or attacked by Dementors."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, before the bespectacled boy said to his teacher, "I'll go get it." A dash out of the room and upstairs was followed a minute later by a dash back, with Harry holding a folded piece of parchment. "I was going to show you this after Christmas hols, but now works too." He laid the parchment out on the table, pulled out his wand, and touched its tip to the sheet, intoning, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Lines began to spread outward from the wandtip, splitting, turning, crossing, and rejoining, and began to form into what was recognizable as a map of some sort. As this happened, green ink wrote words at the top of the page in a florid script:

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

As the map filled out, showing what was unmistakably Hogwarts, Iruka could see several small dots labeled with the names of students, staff, and even ghosts. Remarkably, the movement of these dots suggested that not only did the map show the layout of Hogwarts, it also tracked the movements of the castle's occupants in real time. His mind spun wildly at the immense tactical and security advantages such a map could represent, depending on how accurate it truly was. Still, he was more than a little concerned...

"Where did you get this, Harry? And are you sure it's safe, after that diary last year?"

"I got it from Fred and George, they've had it for a couple years already and they're- well, I think they've always been like that, at least. Anyway, I also know who made it, from Professor Lupin's stories about my parents. My dad had a group of friends that did pranks kinda like the twins do, and they were called the Marauders, or that's what they called themselves at least. Prongs is my dad, and Moony is Professor Lupin, so it's actually sort of like a family heirloom. It even shows a bunch of secret passages, like this one from the statue of the one-eyed witch to the cellar of Honeydukes was the one I used that day." It was a sign of how much Harry was beginning to recover from his time with his relatives that he'd spoken so long and with such enthusiasm.

"Sounds like you've got that covered, at least," Iruka replied, "but it was still reckless of you to leave the castle without telling someone, even if it was just me. If something had happened to you, even something innocent like falling and hurting your leg, we wouldn't have known where to look for you. Even when you don't have an escaped murderer hunting you, remember that we adults are responsible for your safety."

"I'd also like to borrow this map starting before you all get back to the castle," he continued, "just until Black is dealt with. I'm sure you can see how useful it could be for spotting him if he tries to get at you again?" Harry nodded. "I'd also like your permission to have Professors Lupin, Flitwick, and Dumbledore see if they can copy the enchantments, both so that there can be spare maps while you keep the original safe and so the staff can use them when there's a problem, like if a student goes missing or there's an intruder in the castle."

Hermione's eyes were sparkling with excitement. "They could even use them at night to watch for students out of bounds, without having to leave their rooms unless they see something they need to deal with! It would be a huge help to safety and discipline!" she defended from her father's and teacher's amused looks, not noticing Harry leaning back from her with an aghast expression on his face.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Returning to Hogwarts, Iruka quickly contacted the three professors he hoped to speak with, and soon all four men had gathered in the Headmaster's office. "So, Iruka," Albus began, "your note indicated that you had something which we might find both interesting and useful to large degrees. Would you care to enlighten us?"

Smiling, the chuunin pulled the currently-blank Map from his robes and laid it on the Headmaster's desk. Seeing the hint of recognition in Remus's eyes, he smirked. "Perhaps Mister Moony would like to do the honors?"

After a blink of surprise, the younger man smiled and placed his wandtip on the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Albus and Filius watched in amazement as the Marauder's Map took shape. Soon both of them were casting various diagnostic spells over the item and bombarding their werewolf colleague with both praise for his and his friends' ingenuity and questions regarding how they'd created such a marvelous device. Lupin apparently knew a great deal about the Map's creation, having been the most academic among the four, but his knowledge lacked key elements.

"I could reproduce the map aspect of it right away, and the hide-and-reveal function pretty quickly afterward." His expression turned sheepish. "It's also got some minor defenses, in that it's designed to refuse to function for Severus Snape and to insult him if he tries to activate it or learn its secrets. Something like that could take a few days, longer for a more complex set of scripted responses. What I _can't_ help you with is actually tying it into the castle's wards. Without that link the Homonculous Charm gets scrambled by the castle's Unplottable wards, fouling the tracking and identification functions, and the passwords to things like secret passages won't update if they're changed. Unfortunately, the ward-related magic was Black's work, and at least some of the spells he used were family secrets."

Behind them, a portrait of a particularly unpleasant-looking individual scoffed. "An ingenious use of the family magics, if disappointingly frivolous."

"I don't suppose you might be able to shed some light on the spells involved, Phineas?" Albus addressed the portrait, which simply sneered in response. "I thought not. Well then, I think that we should create prototype copies for the moment for at least Filius and myself to tinker with, as our schedules permit. Between our knowledge of magic beyond that of a quartet of Hogwarts students and my access to the castle's wards, perhaps we might be able to find an alternative solution. Of course, with the school year on and Black still skulking about, how much time we will actually have is anyone's guess."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

As the Hogwarts Express pulled back into Hogsmeade Station, returning the students after their winter holidays, Iruka was watching over the activated Marauder's Map alongside Filius, while Remus was among several staff members guarding the station and the path to the castle. Harry and the other students would be particularly exposed and vulnerable between the train and the castle's wards, and beyond that the mass confusion of so many children on the move would present a golden opportunity for Black to sneak in. Thus, the two gazing at the map served as overwatch, monitoring the castle and grounds for intruders.

Iruka was splitting his attention between scans of the grounds and looking over the stream of returning students that manifested as small clusters of moving dots spread out in a line between train and castle, each cluster representing the occupants of one of the school's carriages. It was one of these clusters that caused his brows to furrow, or more accurately one name attached to said cluster. "Filius," he said, "did Peter Pettigrew have any younger relatives, perhaps a nephew or niece that might be of Hogwarts age?"

The Charms Professor shook his head. "No," he replied, "other than his mother, who passed away several years ago, he was the last member of his family."

"Then we may have a very big problem. Look." The ninja pointed to the cluster of dots that had drawn his attention - _Dean Thomas_ , _Seamus Finnegan_ , _Ronald Weasley_ , and _Peter Pettigrew_.

Filius's eyes widened. Patronus messages were soon sent off to both the Headmaster and the Defense Professor, both of whose dots began to move rapidly towards the antechamber off the Entrance Hall in which the two Professors were watching the Map. Iruka, meanwhile, was keeping his eyes on the anomalous dot and label, his instincts telling him that whoever this was would prove to be of vital importance.

Headmaster Dumbledore arrived first, having somewhat less distance to cover, but Remus wasn't far behind. "You said you'd seen something on the Map," the Defense Professor said quickly, "is it Black?"

Iruka shook his head. "No, not Black, something more mysterious. There's no way to break this gently: Peter Pettigrew appears to be alive." He pointed toward the cluster of dots on the Map.

Remus dashed forward, gaping in disbelief at the name on the enchanted parchment. Albus followed at a more sedate pace, his expression one of concern and deep thought. "How could this be?" the elder wizard asked, "Remus, you would have seen those students boarding the carriage. Surely you would have recognized Peter and reacted to his presence, had he been visible, so he must be Disillusioned or otherwise hidden."

A flicker of emotion flashed across the lycanthrope's face. "You know something," Iruka stated, "something you haven't told us. Whatever it is, we need to know, and we need to know _now_."

Lupin sighed. "Our names as Marauders weren't random. Mine is presumably fairly obvious, but the other three... In our fifth year, all three of them completed the Animagus transformation so that they could stay with me during the full moon. Werewolves are aggressive towards humans, but they tend to ignore animals, so as long as they remained in their Animagus forms they'd be fairly safe. It made things easier on me, since the wolf tended to go berserk when it was confined alone, resorting to attacking it surroundings and even itself, but having company caused it to relax."

"As for their forms," he continued, pointing to the relevant names at the top of the Map, "James was a stag, Black a large black dog, and Peter a common brown rat."

It took only seconds for Iruka to put the pieces together. "Flippy!" he called. His assigned elf appeared with a crack. "There is an old Daily Prophet from this past summer on the table beside my desk in my office. Please bring it here immediately." Less than a minute later they had the paper laid out beside the Map. "Remus, look at the photo on the front page, focus on the youngest Weasley boy."

Confused, the werewolf did as he was bid. "Wormtail!" he cried out moments later.

"I thought so," the chuunin said. "I remembered that he had a pet rat, since Hermione Granger's cat has been hunting it all term, resulting in no small amount of friction between Ronald and my students. The cat is half-Kneazle; it must have known something wasn't right about that rat."

"And you picked up this archive copy of the Prophet after our chat with the Minister just before the holidays," Filius stated. "I'm guessing you wanted to look over the issue that had seemingly prompted Black's escape, in hopes of finding clues as to what could rouse him so after twelve years of inaction?"

Iruka nodded. "Ronald Weasley is closest to Pettigrew in the carriage, he has a pet rat, Pettigrew could _become_ a rat, and the boy and his pet appear on the front page of the issue of the Daily Prophet that Minister Fudge handed to Sirius Black during his inspection tour of Azkaban. It's not Harry that Black is here for, it's Pettigrew."

"One mystery solved," Albus said seriously, "only to prompt more questions. Chief among them is why Peter has not revealed himself since that fateful day, and what his motives are in hiding as a child's pet. We will need to retrieve him, discreetly, as soon as we can without frightening or endangering the students. As much as I hope that he is innocent of any wrongdoing, I fear that we must act on the presumption that he might prove violently uncooperative."

"Our biggest advantage is that he has no idea that we've noticed him," Iruka stated. "That, combined with the fact that he's been in hiding for twelve years already, means that we're not being forced to act hastily or desperately. I doubt that we could be as ready as we'd like before Weasley and the others reach the castle and head into the Great Hall for dinner, and we definitely do _not_ want to make our move when Pettigrew is in the midst of dozens or hundreds of vulnerable, unpredictable students."

"Indeed," the Headmaster nodded, "the more contained we can keep things the better. Here is what I propose..."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

To an average observer, Minerva McGonagall was approaching the entrance to the Gryffindor common room alone. A more extraordinary observer would see that she was flanked by Albus and Filius, with Iruka marking the rear corner of a tight diamond formation. Several paces back, Remus Lupin and Severus Snape were following behind. All five wizards were under a number of concealment charms, including Disillusionment, Silencing, Notice-Me-Not, and some sort of scent-suppression spell.

Minerva and her three followers stepped through the doorway behind the Fat Lady, while Lupin and Snape took up positions against the corridor walls just outside, wands in hand. The Gryffindor Head had been brought in as the person most able to enter her House's dorms without potentially spooking Pettigrew; her ability to become a cat at a moment's notice was more of a bonus. If Pettigrew _did_ spook, they would rely primarily on Albus and Filius for their wandwork and Iruka for his speed and agility. The two outside were a final backup, but kept farther back as the ones most likely to provoke an unwanted reaction from their target. Snape in particular had been brought in to provide Veritaserum if it was deemed necessary to get answers in a hurry.

Just as the portrait door closed behind the Professorial quartet, Harry descended the stairs from the dorms wearing a serious expression. Surprisingly, he made a beeline for his Head-of-House. "Professor, could you come up and check on something for me? There was an unlabeled Christmas present on my bed when I got in, and I don't know who it's from, and with Black after me, you know..."

Iruka was torn between pleasure at the benefit of a good reason for Minerva's presence in the dorm, pride that his student was learning due diligence, and worry over the suspicious gift and the potential complication in their plans. The Transfiguration teacher simply smiled tightly at her student. "Lead the way, Mister Potter."

Up in the third-year boys' room, Iruka saw Harry's four roommates milling about, casting occasional nervous glances towards the still-wrapped present sitting untouched on the young Potter's bed. Minerva cast several diagnostic spells over the package before nodding in satisfaction. "I can detect nothing outwardly dangerous about it," she stated, "though I feel it may be best if I were to bring it to those on staff who would know better just how to check it thoroughly."

Harry shrugged self-consciously. "Whatever you think is best, Professor."

The Gryffindor Head proceeded to conjure a metal box, levitate the gift into it, then seal on a lid of the same metal before shrinking and pocketing the whole mess. Returning to their original purpose, she then scanned the room with her eyes as if looking for contraband, before fixing her gaze on Ronald Weasley and his 'pet'. "Mister Weasley," she said, "is your pet unwell? It looks rather distressed." She wasn't lying: The rat was twitching and frequently glancing around the room, visibly nervous; its hair was patchy and thinning, giving it a very sickly appearance.

The redheaded boy nodded. "Yeah, Professor, Scabbers's been sick or something ever since summer. I tried some rat tonic from Magical Menagerie, but it didn't work."

Minerva gave her student a sympathetic look. "Would you mind if I took him for a while? I know some people that might be able to determine what's wrong." When he nodded again and wordlessly held his rat out towards her, she quickly conjured a cage into which he placed the animal. "I shall inform you as soon as is practical regarding his prognosis," she stated reassuringly before leaving the room, her three shadows in tow.

As they descended the stairs, several spells shot from Albus's and Filius's positions in the formation, causing the cage (and on one occasion its occupant) to glow a variety of colors. This was, per the plan, the two wizards magically sealing and reinforcing the cage to prevent easy escape, as well as indicating that the rat was indeed a human being in disguise. The latter result was further confirmed by said rat's sudden frantic attempts to escape its confinement. "I would not recommend attempting to transform, Mr. Pettigrew," Minerva spoke quietly but coldly, "as your cage has been charmed strong enough not to break in such a circumstance." To this, 'Scabbers' responded by cowering in one corner of his tiny prison.

Once the portrait doorway had closed behind them, all five men lifted their Disillusionment Charms, shimmering into view to the visibly ever-escalating terror of the caged rat-man until a Stunner left him insensate. The six then proceeded to the Headmaster's office, where the rat was removed from its cage while all present had their wands leveled. A spell from Minerva caused the rodent to transform into a short, portly, balding man whose facial features strongly recalled his Animagus form. His hair and clothing were badly disheveled, and he was distinctly grimy from head to toe. The eyes of Iruka's colleagues hardened further as they saw visible proof of the rat's true nature and identity. Remus's face was stony and unreadable, but Snape's glare at their prisoner held nothing but burning hatred.

Several spells (and a physical search by Iruka) later, and they felt confident that Pettigrew was now thoroughly disarmed. Of the two wands recovered, one belonged to the man himself while the other Albus and Snape were able to confirm belonged to the semi-late Dark Lord Voldemort. At a suggestion from Filius, Iruka pulled up their captive's left sleeve, baring a faded but still clearly present Dark Mark, which elicited a low growl from Remus.

"A clearer picture begins to resolve itself," Albus stated. "Minerva, please summon Amelia Bones and her Aurors with all due haste. You may use the fireplace in this office. Severus, have the Veritaserum ready. All of you, keep your wands ready; it now seems possible, if not probable, that our _guest_ was the one to murder those Muggles twelve years ago. Should that be true, it would mean that he is able - and possibly inclined - to use extremely destructive magic in attempting to escape; it would also suggest that Sirius Black badly underestimated him that day, and twelve innocent people died as a result." As the Headmaster spoke, he had conjured a sturdy-looking wooden armchair, seated Pettigrew, and bound him to it with conjured ropes, making sure his Dark Mark was uncovered and facing upward. He also cast several other spells, though Iruka wasn't certain of their purpose other than presumably to further secure the now-revealed Death Eater.

The Floo soon disgorged Madam Bones, flanked by a pair of Aurors. One was a tall, dark-skinned man whose powerful stride and professional air contrasted with a congenial face; the other was an attractive young woman with her pink hair up in spikes. The latter exited the Floo smoothly, before promptly tripping over something and stumbling into one of the nearby tables, upsetting several of the delicate instruments it bore. Both of her colleagues and several of the staff present quirked small smiles of fond amusement. "Amelia, Kingsley, Nym-" "OY!" "-Miss Tonks," the Headmaster greeted smoothly despite the female Auror's outraged shout. "A pleasure to see you all, though I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Albus," Bones greeted, "Minerva said that you'd caught an intruder you wanted me to see. I take it this is him?"

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied, "Madam Bones, might I introduce you to the supposedly-late Peter Pettigrew, Order of Merlin, First Class, unregistered rat Animagus, and marked Death Eater. He has apparently spent the last several years as the pet rat of one of Harry Potter's dorm-mates."

All three of the newcomers' eyes widened in shock. "How..." the DMLE Head began.

Albus briefly recounted the sequence of events, beginning with Iruka's overwatch role and ending with the search that revealed Pettigrew's second, highly incriminating wand. "We were just about to wake and question him, and I felt that it would be best if you were present."

"Why yes," she responded somewhat acidly, "it _would_ be best to have actual law-enforcement personnel present when interrogating a suspected mass-murderer. May I use your Floo to call in a few more of my people? If your theory about the actual events surrounding his confrontation with Black is correct, he's slippery enough and dangerous enough that we'll want backup to keep him properly secured." At the Headmaster's assent, she moved to the fireplace, which several minutes later disgorged four more Aurors.

After a bit of confusion and cajoling, everyone was positioned within the increasingly-crowded office. Spells were cast to seal every door, window, or other potential exit that could be seen. Wands were readied. Given their working theory, nobody wanted to take any chances.

A quick spell roused Pettigrew to wakefulness, and his gaze zigzagged around the room as his fear became almost palpable. Finally, his eyes snapped to the Headmaster. "P-Professor!" he cried out, "You've got to help me! It's Black, he wants to kill me!"

"I am certain he does, Peter," Albus replied so calmly he might have been discussing the weather. "However, certain information has come to light that leaves me wondering precisely _why_ ," now he smiled benignly at the bound man, "but I'm sure that we'll be able to figure it out together. You wouldn't mind answering a few questions for myself and Madam Bones, would you?"

At this moment the office's Floo flared again, causing nearly every head in the room to turn towards the fireplace. Only Iruka's gaze and that of one of the Aurors present remained on Pettigrew, who found himself Stunned and placed in a Full-Body Bind partway through attempting to transform back into his rat form. Ninja and wizard met each others eyes and nodded respectfully before looking over to where Cornelius Fudge was standing, flanked by Dolores Umbridge and yet another Auror. Even as well-lit and open as the Headmaster's office was, with this many people present it was beginning to get distinctly cramped, especially considering how much space was occupied by bookshelves and other furniture.

"Albus!" the Minister cried out, clearly nervous given the number of wands that had reflexively swiveled towards his unexpected arrival, "I've just heard the most alarming rumour and- why are you all standing around a rat in a chair?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, but that just seemed like the best place to break the chapter. A scene I'd expected to be fairly brief just kept getting longer and longer, to the point where it just wouldn't have comfortably fit into one chapter.


	6. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mention of what Pettigrew could have done to the Weasley children if he'd been so inclined.

The interloper's question refocused everyone on their prisoner, resulting in a large number of angry scowls and a few more sheepish expressions. A spell from Albus's wand had the chair once more occupied by Peter Pettigrew, and several more secured him as he'd been before. "Well done, whoever caught him," the Headmaster said. "Cornelius, I'm afraid I shall have to temporarily disable my office Floo until this matter has been sorted. You are of course welcome to either remain or depart beforehand, but before our prisoner is woken I wish to have this room completely sealed. The last time this man escaped capture, a dozen people were murdered, and none of us here wish to be added to that tally."

Fudge paled and gulped, before rallying. "But... but that's not Black! They said you'd caught an intruder in the castle!"

Dumbledore nodded. "You are correct on both counts, Cornelius. Our intruder in fact appears to be Peter Pettigrew."

"Hem, hem," interjected Umbridge, "Surely I must have misheard you, Headmaster. It is well-known that Peter Pettigrew was murdered by Sirius Black."

"I was Mr. Pettigrew's Transfiguration teacher and Head of House for seven years, Madam Umbridge," Minerva replied archly, "Filius Flitwick was his Charms teacher for the same period, and Remus Lupin one of his closest friends for that long and beyond. All three of us recognize this man as Peter Pettigrew. If _that_ is not sufficient, then his questioning will almost certainly confirm his identity one way or another."

"Well if it _is_ Pettigrew," the Minister said loudly, "then what is he doing all tied up? The man is a hero, Order of Merlin, First Class!"

"In answer to your question, Cornelius," Albus replied tranquilly, "might I first direct your attention to his left forearm?" A distinct widening of Fudge's eyes showed that he'd seen the Mark, and his mouth was opening to emit what was probably some attempt to explain it away when the Headmaster continued: "Furthermore, he was found to be in possession of a wand I recognize as that of the individual whose mark he bears. Add to this that he is known to have been using his disguise to reside in the bedchambers of underage wizards, and it is only prudent that he be treated with suspicion until and unless he is able to satisfactorily explain these facts."

Both Minister and Undersecretary wore sour looks at this, but neither could truly put forward any further objections of even superficial merit given the circumstances. Soon everyone had resumed their positions around the room, with Fudge and Umbridge chivvied outside the circle, and a dictation quill had been set up to record the questioning.

"Sunday, the Second of January, 1993, eight thirty-seven PM. The location is the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Interrogation of an intruder to the castle, subject's name believed to be Peter Pettigrew. Interrogating officer Madam Amelia Bones, DMLE Director. Also present..." Madam Bones listed off the names and official titles of each of those present, which took quite a while (especially for Albus). "Subject is presently restrained and Stunned. Due to an escape attempt shortly prior to this questioning, subject may be re-Stunned as necessary to prevent escape. Given the subject's uncooperative nature, I am authorizing the use of Veritaserum..." This was followed by more administrative information, such as the phial number containing the potion, several official authorizations and attestations, and various other formalities associated with applying a controlled substance to an unwilling subject.

Finally, Pettigrew was awakened and dosed before he could truly begin to protest. After a few seconds, his eyes began to turn glassy as a fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Potions Master Snape," Bones asked formally, "what is your assessment of the subject's current state?"

The pallid man's glare turned analytical. "The truth potion has taken effect. However, he is attempting to fight it; I would recommend targeted questions which demand simple, unambiguous answers. It is likely that he will attempt to satisfy the compulsion to answer truthfully with incomplete or otherwise misleading truths."

"Your advice is duly noted. Questioning begins."

What followed was a protracted interrogation, stretching well into the night and expending three further doses of truth serum while requiring numerous questions to be repeated with tweaked phrasing in order to dig out further information. Through it all, Pettigrew's struggles against the potion were evident on his face, but in the end they were able to determine several key facts:

Their prisoner was, indeed, Peter Pettigrew.

He was a Death Eater.

He had not been magically coerced into joining Voldemort's side. (Pettigrew had fought this question hardest of all.)

He had been the Potters' Secret Keeper.

He had willingly betrayed the secret of their location to his master.

He had been outside the cottage as James and Lily were murdered, run inside after the explosion, then taken his master's wand and fled when he heard someone else arriving.

Sirius Black was not, to Pettigrew's knowledge, a Death Eater.

Black tracked Pettigrew down, not vice versa.

Pettigrew was the one to blast apart the street, his curse striking a Muggle gas line, and had used the resulting confusion to escape. (This information took over half an hour on its own to extract, given the number of questions required to pin down each of the individual facts.)

He had not peeped nor otherwise engaged in pedophilic behavior towards any of the Weasleys or any of Hogwarts' students. (Nearly everyone present had looked visibly ill when Iruka suggested the topic of questioning, but had agreed that it was necessary to ask.)

Madam Bones had wanted to press for further information, clearly hoping to get something that incriminated some of the 'Imperiused' Death Eaters, but both Fudge and Umbridge had shut that line of questioning down hard.

"But what are we going to _do?!_ " The Minister's face was ashen, his hands shaking, while his Undersecretary looked as if she'd swallowed something foul. "This has to be kept quiet, it'd make the Ministry look a laughingstock... and then there's Black... oh, what a mess!"

"What I want to know," the DMLE Director said angrily, "is why did none of this come out in Black's trial? Even if nobody believed him, a tale like this would have easily been sensational enough to be talked about, and yet this is the first I've heard of it."

Dumbledore frowned in concentration. "I find that I cannot recall Sirius's trial, nor any references to it, and I _should_ have been informed in my role as Chief Warlock of any proceeding of that magnitude."

"There was no mention of it in the Prophet, either," Iruka commented. "When I heard about Black's escape, and the fact that he was thought to be targeting one of my students, I did some research to better understand the threat. There were plenty of articles covering the Potters' deaths, Harry's survival, and their attacker's disappearance, along with the attack on the Longbottoms and various Death Eater arrests and trials. The only article I could find dealing with Black, though, was a third-page mention of the aftermath of his confrontation with Pettigrew and subsequent arrest. Given how central a figure he was in the whole mess, his trial should have been front-page news; is it possible that he was tried in secret somehow?"

"No," Bones stated firmly, "or at least there's no _legal_ way to do it. Does _anyone_ here remember _anything_ about Black's trial?" She was met with nothing but shaking heads. "Headmaster, could you reactivate your Floo?" At a wave of Albus's wand, she stalked over to the fireplace and soon vanished into the green flames after informing all present that she'd be back shortly.

After about fifteen minutes of tense silence broken by occasional attempts at awkward small-talk, the fire flared green again and Madam Bones reemerged, a file folder in her hand and an expression of fury on her face. "I've just looked over the records," she stated coldly while waving the folder, "and Black was not tried in secret. He simply wasn't tried _at all_."

"Impossible!" Umbridge cried angrily. "The Ministry does not make such mistakes. Clearly Black _had_ a trial, but the records were lost! I am certain that an investigation would soon find and _punish_ those responsible." As with the last time he'd seen her mention punishment, Iruka very much did not like the gleam in the witch's eyes at her last sentence.

"Madam Umbridge," Bones responded tightly, clearly trying to restrain herself from cursing (whether verbally or magically) at the obnoxious Undersecretary, "this folder holds the complete record of _all_ Wizengamot proceedings between Black's arrest and my appointment as Director of Magical Law Enforcement. There are no gaps, no missing pages or dates, nor any sign of tampering or omission, and yet the name 'Black' does not appear anywhere. 'Pettigrew' appears only in regards to his Order of Merlin, something which should probably be revisited in light of new information, and 'Potter' in regard to the home in Godric's Hollow, the memorial, and other proposed means of honoring the family."

"No, it can't be!" Fudge's head shook franticly. "That simply _cannot_ be true! The damage it could cause-"

"To who, Minister?" Iruka's interruption drew every eye in the room. Many showed simply surprise and confusion; others (such as Albus, Filius, and Bones) seemed more calculating; Umbridge looked like she wanted to have him roasted on a spit for daring to interrupt the Minister of Magic.

"What?" the Minister asked blankly.

"Who would be damaged by this if it got out?" The chuunin pressed on. "You said it yourself back in the Three Broomsticks recently - you were just a Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time. We already know that the Chief Warlock wasn't involved, nor was Madam Bones. Nobody that would have been part of this miscarriage of justice is still in power, unless you count Bartemius Crouch, so it's no fault of the _current_ Ministry. This isn't a disaster, Minister Fudge; it's an opportunity for you and your Ministry to be seen righting a great wrong."

"Yes... yes!" As Fudge had begun to grasp Iruka's point, his eyes lit up at the promise of adulation. "We show the people that _we_ will get things right! A proper trial, in front of the full Wizengamot! If he's truly guilty of supporting You-Know-Who, we'll prove it and deal with him accordingly, and if he's innocent, it'll show that we're right on the Snitch!"

"There will have to be an investigation, of course;" his Undersecretary picked up, "the people deserve to know who's responsible for sending the last son of a prominent family to Azkaban without a proper trial, and should face appropriate penalties as well as paying restitution."

"Oh, but what about Potter? Black is still after him, and the Dementors are still our best weapon to keep him away..."

"It may be, Cornelius," the Headmaster replied, "that he's _not_ after young Harry. Do you recognize this edition of the Daily Prophet?" He pulled the archive copy Iruka had called for earlier from his robes.

The Minister's brow furrowed. "I suppose it looks familiar. What of it?"

"Professor Umino recalled that you mentioned Mr. Black requesting your copy of the Prophet during your inspection tour of Azkaban, and wondered whether something within that paper had sparked the escape. This is that day's edition, which you would have had on your person at the time. I would direct your attention to the photograph on the front page, particularly the youngest Weasley boy." Everyone in the office crowded around the paper now in Fudge's hands.

Surprising almost nobody, Madam Bones was the first to spot it. "The rat! Pettigrew is an unregistered rat Animagus, and Black must have known about it. He saw this photo and realized that the man responsible for betraying the Potters and framing him was still alive."

"Alive, and sleeping in the same dorm room as his godson," Iruka added, "the son of his best friend. Protection and revenge are both powerful motivators, and I've seen each drive men to extraordinary lengths."

"And Black may be running on _both_ ," Bones shook her head, "between that and his time around the Dementors, I don't relish the idea of getting in his way. Even so, we need to catch him before we can try him."

"Indeed," the Minister replied, "I will have to cancel the Kiss-on-Sight order. The Dementors won't be happy about it, but then again they never are. I'll also have the Prophet and the Wizarding Wireless announce that Black is wanted alive, but without Black himself to take to trial it could all just turn into a great mess if we told people there were questions about his guilt. Better to drink the whole potion at once, as it were."

"Couldn't you just owl him," Iruka asked, "maybe tell him you caught Pettigrew and want to give them both proper trials?"

"We've already tried sending mail to him by owl," stated the tall dark-skinned Auror, "but it all came back unopened. Whether he's cracked because of his time in Azkaban or just rightly suspicious of what charms might be on the mail, he's not touching it."

"What if Albus or Minerva send him a Patronus message first?" Filius's question drew mostly looks of interest, though a few seemed confused and Umbridge looked like she'd stepped in manure. "I know of no way to fake a Messenger Patronus, and they can find someone almost anywhere. That would let us tell him we've caught Pettigrew and found out the truth, and let him know that the owl that's coming has a letter along with parchment, quill, and ink for him to write back."

Thus it was that several of the highest-ranking people in the room came to be standing around the Headmaster's desk collaborating on (and occasionally arguing over) a joint letter to Sirius Black. Because politicians were involved, the final result was overly long and filled with florid language and legal-speak, but at least Madam Bones made certain that it was still clear in its meaning. Finally she, Dumbledore, and Fudge each signed, before the whole thing was packed up with a stack of blank parchment, a quill, and an inkpot, and tied with a bright cyan ribbon conjured by the Headmaster. With some help from a Hogwarts elf, the whole package was soon in the claws of a school owl winging its way to Sirius Black. As soon as the message had been sent out, Minerva drew her wand and shot off a Messenger Patronus through the tower wall and into the night.

"And now," Albus said serenely, "all we can do is wait. Given that we've no idea when or if we will receive a response, perhaps we should adjourn this little gathering? Madam Bones and her Aurors are quite capable, I am sure, of handling the prisoner, and I suspect that you, Cornelius, might be best served by canceling the Kiss-on-Sight order and making whatever other preparations you feel are best before taking your well-earned rest for the night."

"Yes, Dumbledore," Fudge replied with a sigh, "quite a bit to do yet, and already so late! Well, the people do like to see their Ministry hard at work, don't they? Good night, Headmaster, Professors, everyone. Amelia, I want Pettigrew in one of our cells under round-the-clock guard, take whatever precautions are needed to keep him in custody and keep this _quiet_. I want the whole matter brought to the public as a _fait accompli_ , you understand?"

"Of course, Minister," Madam Bones responded, "with your permission I'd like to call in Alastor Moody on this. I know he's technically retired, but if you want precautions, there's nobody better."

"Whatever you think is best," Umbridge simpered. She had slipped back into her usual saccharine persona, but to Iruka's trained eye it was clear that she was still upset about something.

Eventually, the long train of visitors with its treacherous (albeit unconscious) cargo had departed for the Ministry via Floo.

Sitting tiredly in his desk chair, Albus spoke again. "I am sorry by the way, Remus," he addressed the werewolf, "for not calling upon your knowledge of Peter and Sirius during the interrogation and discussions tonight, but given your condition I felt it best to avoid drawing attention to you, particularly with Madam Umbridge in the room."

"That's fine, Headmaster," Remus replied with a resigned smile, "though how long that'll last is anyone's guess. Sooner or later, somebody's going to find out _why_ James, Sirius, and the traitor became Animagi, and from there it's a short trip to me needing to find a new job. Given the supposed Defense Curse, I'm guessing it'll happen by the end of this school year."

"Unfortunately, you are most likely right," Dumbledore said sadly. "Still, at least our students have gotten _one_ year of competent instruction, a feat I can only hope will be repeated next year."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Several days of intermittent owl correspondence later, Madam Bones returned to the castle and accompanied Remus and Albus out towards the Forbidden Forest. Half an hour or so later, the three of them returned with the addition of a large black dog whose long, matted hair did little to hide how emaciated its frame was underneath. All four then made their way up to the Headmaster's office.

The following Monday saw classes canceled for the day, as several senior members of Hogwarts' faculty were away at the Ministry to attend the trials of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Iruka and Remus both remained behind in the castle, the former both because his involvement could easily be glossed over and because his foreign origins would prejudice the Wizengamot against him, and the latter again because they hoped to keep his lycanthropy under wraps.

That evening's dinner was interrupted by the delivery of a special evening edition of the Prophet, its above-the-fold headline announcing to the world, " **Sirius Black Innocent!** " The article that followed detailed the revelations surrounding Pettigrew, Black, and the Potters. Some details had thankfully been withheld: Pettigrew was said to have been hiding as the pet of a Pureblood family, but not which one (though Hogwarts' rumor mill would likely make that moot), and his discovery was attributed to an unnamed family heirloom belonging to Harry Potter. That latter aspect was played up rather sensationally as James Potter getting justice from beyond the grave. Other articles covered other aspects of the whole mess, such as the revocation of Pettigrew's Order of Merlin, but the largest two past the main story were accounts of the two trials.

Pettigrew was tried first, in recognition of how much the proof of his guilt would contribute to Black's subsequent exoneration. The Wizengamot had been assembled to hear two unspecified trials of high-profile cases when the first prisoner cage rose up through the floor, wrapped in a fine wire mesh, and apparently the revelation of the defendant's identity had provoked an uproar that took over five minutes to calm, and the charges sparked another few minutes of shouting. Once the trial itself finally got started and Pettigrew entered his plea of Not Guilty, the prosecution opened with the fact that he had been hiding for over a decade in spite of almost certainly knowing that he'd been acclaimed a hero. They'd pointed out that he was carrying Voldemort's wand, that he bore the Dark Mark, and that the man's own wand had last cast a blasting curse. Rather than directly state what they believed had happened, they deliberately left the question "Why?" hanging over each piece of evidence. In spite of several objections from Wizengamot members aligned with the blood-purist faction, Pettigrew was again questioned under Veritaserum, using questions selected based on his original interrogation to get the most relevant information more quickly and directly.

Eventually, in spite of his attempted denials, Pettigrew was narrowly convicted of belonging to an illegal organization (the Death Eaters), complicity in two murders and one attempted murder, the killing of twelve Muggles, gross violation of the Statute of Secrecy, and being an unregistered Animagus. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban's high-security wing, with no possibility of parole. Iruka hoped he got his former friend's old cell.

Black's trial had again begun with a great deal of noise from the Wizengamot and gallery, but that was one of the only similarities. The Ministry had immediately dropped all charges save belonging to an illegal organization, violating the Statute of Secrecy, and being an unregistered Animagus, the last of which he'd pled Guilty to. In contrast to Pettigrew's questioning, where he clearly did not want to be dosed with truth serum and visibly and audibly fought against it throughout, Black happily accepted the potion and answered easily, often volunteering more information than was strictly asked for. Had his trial happened in isolation, the accusations that he had overcome the serum would likely have gained some real traction, but the evidence of the preceding case lent his answers far more credibility. At Black's request (stated to the court prior to being dosed), he was also questioned about most of the same events Pettigrew had, even when they only related to charges that had already been dropped. As the Prophet reporter stated, it did a fairly good job of hammering home that the man in the defendant's chair was innocent of every crime for which he'd been jailed.

The verdicts of Not Guilty on the remaining charges Black was defending against didn't come by a landslide, but the margin was definitely larger than it had been for Pettigrew. Given the man's years of illegal incarceration, the normal penalties for failing to register as an Animagus were waived and he was set free, though he would remain in DMLE protective custody while he recovered at St. Mungo's from his long ordeal, in order to give news of his innocence time to reach the general public and prevent any unfortunate misunderstandings.

Given the fact that the threat was over, the Dementors had been ordered back to Azkaban. The process of moving them had already begun.

At a press conference immediately following the trials, Minister Fudge (flanked by Madam Umbridge and Director Bones) had made clear that his administration had had no part in Sirius Black's wrongful imprisonment, "save to act in good faith upon the belief that those who held our offices before us had carried out their duties honestly and properly. Now that this belief has been called into question, I shall instruct Madam Bones to conduct a thorough investigation to determine how such a grave miscarriage of justice could occur, and a review of the cases of all those currently incarcerated in Azkaban to ensure that no other witch or wizard has been denied the just trial they are due."

"I shall also," his statement continued, "direct suitable compensation to be paid to Sirius Black for the wrongs done to him by the previous Ministry, with the intent to administer fines to those responsible for his lack of trial in order to recoup some of the Ministry's expenditures in this matter in addition to whatever other penalties may be assessed against them." The transcript of the statement went on quite a bit further, and a close read showed that blame was already starting to be pointed towards former DMLE Director Bartemius Crouch, who conveniently enough for Fudge was both a useful political target and wealthy enough (being the last of an old Pureblood family) to pay the heavy fines that would likely ensue. It also helped (though was likely not required) that from what Iruka knew the man quite possibly _was_ responsible.

Albus stood up, tapping his goblet with his fork. "May I have your attention, please," he called as the Great Hall fell silent. "As many of you are now reading, it was recently discovered and today proven that Sirius Black is, rather than a terrible villain, an innocent victim of a great injustice, brought about by prejudice and hasty action. With the situation surrounding him resolved, the Ministry's Dementors are as we speak being withdrawn back to Azkaban," a significant chorus of cheers interrupted him here, "and should all be well away from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade by tomorrow morning. Quidditch Captains, please report to your Head of House after the meal to discuss scheduling for the resumed Quidditch season-" This time the cheering was thunderous, and for once came from all four Houses equally. "Yes, yes, we are all quite overjoyed that our beloved House teams can take to the sky once more. I shall let you return to your repast with the simple instruction to remember what happened to Mr. Black and how, so that when it is your generation holding the reins of our society you might prevent such a thing from ever happening again. Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course Fudge and Umbitch try to screw things up, that's what they do. Iruka provides the sensible suggestion at an opportune moment in part because it's a setup for something further down the line (imaginary cookies to anyone that can guess what). With Pettigrew clearly present, Marked, and carrying Voldie's wand, it's much harder for Fudge to deny reality, especially since in this case Snape isn't assuring him that the only witnesses were Confunded (only one 'o' when talking about the spell, folks). All of that, combined with a way for him to look good while making a potential rival/liability (i.e. Crouch Sr.) look bad and an absence of Malfoy bribes to the contrary mean that the Moron- er, Minister is actually going to do the right thing, even if it's not really for the right reasons.
> 
> I had Iruka not present for the trial both for the reasons stated and because I didn't want to write the trial out explicitly. It's ground that's been covered a million times before by other, better fics than mine, and would mostly be a bunch of boring old witches and wizards following boring courtroom procedure and having a boring debate. I've got enough pacing issues already, and no desire to add to them.


	7. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviewer Fly_by_n1ght alerted me that I'd missed the proper Chapter 5, which has now been inserted (it's named "Map").

Both Iruka and Remus did their best to assist the rest of S.E.N. in keeping Harry on an even keel for the next few days as he processed the sudden upheaval of what he thought he knew. It didn't exactly help that Black was Harry's godfather, the man the Potters wanted to care for their son if they couldn't. The thirteen-year-old had grown quite fond of the Grangers, and was worried that Black would take him away from them or expose them to danger.

It was more than a week after the students' return that Minerva remembered that she still had Harry's mysterious Christmas gift, and sheepishly brought it to Filius for inspection. Neither were able to find any curses or other booby-traps, and they deemed it safe to return to its recipient, who had also forgotten about the present in all the chaos and excitement surrounding Pettigrew's capture. He gratefully opened it to find a pair of protective goggles of a type specifically designed for a Seeker to wear over spectacles.

It was a couple days after the trials that the first letters arrived. Black had written to both Harry and Remus from his room at St. Mungo's, making the first moves in reconnecting with the two of them (even if, for Harry, it was more like they were interacting for the first time). The werewolf Professor didn't share the contents of his missive, but Harry's was a mix of hesitant introduction, polite (if generic) 'get to know you' questions, and repeated apologies for failings both real and imagined. From the rambling, semi-coherent prose, it was apparent that the man's emotional state was fragile at best and probably severely unbalanced. The letter also stated that it was early enough in his treatment that the Healers weren't yet confident in estimating when he'd be well enough to leave hospital; the worst of the damage to his body could be corrected in a couple of weeks, with that treatment concluded after six months to a year of potions and checkups, but the mental effects of twelve years of heavy Dementor exposure were far less predictable.

Meanwhile, the lessons on the Patronus charm had finally begun. They were less urgent with the Dementors' removal to Azkaban, but Harry was still determined to be able to protect himself should he ever encounter them again. Hermione was always eager to learn anything new, and the rest of S.E.N. largely just wanted to support their friend.

Professor Lupin arrived last to the History of Magic classroom, where the lesson was scheduled, carrying a large packing case. "Another Boggart," he explained, hefting it slightly. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees Harry, so we'll be able to practice on him."

An explanation of the basics behind the Patronus charm was followed by several minutes of quiet introspection, as each 'student' (including one faculty member) tried to select a suitable happy memory. For his part, Iruka decided to go with Naruto's induction ceremony as Seventh Hokage. Soon enough, a bit of preliminary practice soon saw Harry and Luna producing slight wisps of silvery mist, though doing so was clearly draining and left both breathing heavily. " _Very_ well done, both of you," said a wide-eyed Remus. "The charm takes a lot out of you, as you've no doubt noticed, so take some time and catch your breath. Everyone else, keep working on it. Remember, casting a Patronus takes both intense happiness and substantial magical power; even that bit of mist is more than most adult witches and wizards will ever get, so don't worry if you have trouble managing it. To be honest, I hadn't really expected any of you to produce anything at all for at least a few months, so this is a pleasant surprise. Those that want to try against a Dementor, or at least our simulation, can do so - some people have more success when they really need it, so it might provide a breakthrough. On the other hand, it can also make it much more difficult to cast the spell at all, and either way it's not exactly a fun experience, so don't feel that you have to do it any time soon."

Once he'd recovered his strength, Harry stepped up front to attempt the spell in front of their ersatz Dementor. The case was opened, and the black-cloaked form emerged, seeming to suck away at all the light and heat and joy and life in the room. " **Expecto Patronum**!" Harry called, to no effect. " **Expecto Patronum**! _ **Expecto Patronum**_ _!_ _ **Exp**_ **e** c-" his voice trailed off suddenly as his eyes rolled back in his head and his wand slipped from his nerveless fingers. Iruka dashed forward to catch him as he collapsed, neglecting to realize that this would make _him_ the closest conscious person to the Boggart.

Suddenly, without any sort of transition, the soul-sucking demon was replaced by a figure at once more familiar and utterly alien to the chuunin. The white cape was torn and stained, splotches of a deeper crimson contrasting with the red flames and kanji. Likewise, the black pants and orange shirt were in tatters, with numerous wounds visible underneath. Hair that would usually be a sunny blonde was matted with filth. A usually strong and confident pose was replaced with the slump of exhaustion and defeat. Worst of all, though, were the eyes: Where ordinarily they'd shine like a pair of warm and slightly mischievous sapphires, they were now dull, clouded with fear and despair.

«Iruka-sensei,» Naruto croaked, his normally bold voice weak and plaintive, «I'm sorry. I couldn't... I can't...»

Iruka's heart was hammering in his chest at the scene before him. This couldn't be real, it was wrong; Naruto would never give up like that-

_It was wrong._

" **KAI!** " the chuunin bellowed, clapping his hands into a Ram seal and disrupting his chakra hard. The NOT-Naruto in front of him was unchanged, merely moaning out another broken apology. Before Iruka could try anything else, Remus was there, stepping between them, and the figure was replaced with the silvery orb of a full moon, which a quick charm transformed into a glittering ball composed of small mirrors and surrounded by bright multicolored lights. In short order, the Boggart was once more locked into its case.

Drawing on his training, Iruka pushed his deep distress aside and focused on checking over his downed student. Harry was still unconscious, his skin pale and clammy, and his pulse was worryingly rapid. His determined focus meant that the shinobi was startled by Remus's approach with a large bar of chocolate.

"He was the same way on the Express," the werewolf stated sadly, absently handing a few squares of chocolate to his colleague. "Given that this wasn't a real Dementor, the effects should fade a bit faster, but it'll still be a bit before he's ready to try again. I'm assuming that whatever you tried there was something from your homeland?" Iruka nodded stiffly. "It's only natural to fall back on familiar techniques and long-ingrained training when you're caught off guard like that. Once Harry's back on his feet I can show you the charm for dealing with Boggarts, maybe have you practice it with a live target, give him time to- easy there, Harry." The Third-Year had begun to stir, immediately redirecting the man's words of reassurance to a more needful recipient.

Harry was helped to a seat in a nearby chair, surrounded by his friends, before Remus began to instruct Iruka on the Boggart-Banishing Spell. Ginny and Luna soon joined the lesson after showing open curiosity and being assured by the young Potter that he'd be fine with just Neville and Hermione. It was a sign of how badly he'd been affected (and perhaps a bit of how far he'd come in the past two years) that he didn't completely wave off all four of his friends. Once the Defense teacher was confident that they all had the incantation and wand movement down, he instructed them to consider their fears and how they might be altered to make them amusing. Judging by the girls' expressions, they weren't having an easy time of it. Thus it was that the chuunin was up front, ready to confront the Dark creature again.

The case opened, and out crawled a battered and broken Naruto. Iruka's cry of " **Riddiculus**!" replaced the bleak figure with a bit of memory: An orange-clad ten-year-old was sulking, spattered with bright multicolored paint, and bound in a comically excessive amount of ropes after Iruka had interrupted one of his pranks. Given the chuckles coming from all present, it was a good choice.

Iruka stepped back, and Ginny moved up. The captured Naruto became a different boy, one Iruka had last seen in spectral form in the Chamber of Secrets. "Well, well, well... Little Ginny Weasley, back again..." Fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle wasn't immediately frightening to most people, but the young redhead's fear of him was more than justified after her experience. She quailed slightly before rallying, her expression one of fierce determination. " **Riddiculus**!" The image of Riddle became slightly younger, his pale skin marred by numerous pimples and some sparse whiskers, and when he attempted to continue speaking his voice promptly squeaked, prompting weak chuckles from both Ginny and Harry.

Next came Luna's turn. It didn't surprise the chuunin at all that the Boggart shifted into the form of Pandora Lovegood as he'd first seen her, but with one major difference - she was dead. With resolve in her slightly moist eyes, the blonde raised her wand and softly incanted " **Riddiculus**." The image of Pandora was now very much alive, seated at her desk, but both desk and witch were covered in some sort of purple pigment, and her hair stood straight back as if blown there by a small explosion. It was the blank expression and confused blinking that pulled a watery giggle from the girl, after which Remus again drove the Boggart back into the case.

"Good job," he stated proudly, "especially our two Second-Years successfully casting a third-year spell."

Harry stood, his face resolute even if his color was still a bit off. "I want to try again."

"Are you sure, Harry?" Remus asked worriedly.

Luna stepped forward. "We'll try casting it together, this time. That way, we'll have double the chances of getting it cast."

The second attempt went no better than the first, with Harry again losing consciousness and the Boggart needing to be driven back into the case. Neither he nor Luna were able to produce even mist in the face of the faux-Dementor, though Iruka thought he saw a faint spark of light flicker at the tip of Luna's wand for a moment. Another period of recovery and practice followed, before a final attempt saw Harry and Luna both generating a misty shield that held the Boggart-mentor back for several seconds and noticeably lessened its effects on everyone in the room.

While it was undoubtedly the biggest success of the lesson, it also provided a clear demonstration of just how taxing the Patronus Charm was to cast, as both students' shields failed after only around fifteen seconds, forcing Remus to once again drive back the Boggart as Harry and Luna moved to tiredly support each other. Both of them were pale, sweaty, panting, and shaking, as if they'd just finished some very taxing exercise. Their tutor for the evening prescribed a full bar each of Honeydukes' chocolate to replenish their energy and recover from the pseudo-Dementor's aura. The lesson wrapped up soon after that, with everyone instructed to think further on their choice of memory and to refrain from trying to practice the charm without adult supervision.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Of course, given the rather fickle nature of a shinobi's luck, it really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that the streak of reasonably good news would shortly be broken by a new catastrophe. A few days after the first Patronus lesson, Iruka received word from Madam Pomfrey that a fifth-year Gryffindor boy had been injured in an explosion. Thankfully it was mostly flash-burns and a burst eardrum, nothing the school's Healer couldn't put right in under a week, but the fact remained that the student in question had admitted that his injuries were the result of a locking seal he was trying to make.

"Mister Pibald," the chuunin said sternly as he approached his soon-to-be-former student's bed, eliciting a flinch from the boy in question, "I recall being very clear as far as attempting to energize a seal without my supervision. It should therefore come as no surprise that you are no longer welcome in my classes, though I suppose I should thank you for providing an object lesson to remind my students _why_ I have such a rule. For now, however, I must ask you whether you have any other seals, completed or not, and where they and your other sealing supplies are."

After getting the requested information from the Fifth-Year, Iruka made his way up to Gryffindor tower to confiscate all of the boy's fuuinjutsu-related materials. Entering the dorm, he found Minerva standing beside Pibald's bed (identifiable due to the scorch marks and minor blast damage on the trunk at its foot). "I presume that you were able to obtain the information you needed?" The Scotswoman was visibly upset, her anger at a student's foolish misbehavior warring with her dismay at the injury to one of her Lions.

"I did;" he replied, "there's one notebook near the left-hand end in his trunk, but everything else should be on his desk." Glancing over the items present, the Sealing teacher was able to see that all the items named by his now-former student were where the boy had said they'd be. A cursory flip through the notebook on the table showed no evidence of torn-out pages, though with magic there was no way to be fully certain. "Looks like it's all here."

Minerva, meanwhile, had collected the second notebook from Pibald's trunk, and Iruka took possession of the entire lot. The actual supplies would certainly be put to use by the class, and there was a good chance that with a bit of work he'd be able to use the notes to show his students at least something about how this seal had gone wrong.

After securing the confiscated items in his office, he then made his way to and past Albus's gargoyle bouncer. Once he'd accepted the offered seat, his employer got down to business. "I presume that you have secured Mr. Pibald's Sealing supplies?"

Iruka nodded. "His supplies, and all of his notes and works-in-progress. I haven't had a chance to go over them yet, and it'd be impossible to know for sure without seeing the exact seal he tried to activate, but there are at least half a dozen ways a standard locking seal could go wrong like this, from poor character placement to sloppy calligraphy to carelessly connecting the wrong points. If I _do_ figure out what his exact mistake was, I'm hoping to use it as an example of what not to do and why."

Albus gave a nod of his own, before his expression turned more serious. "It is a near-certainty that Lucius Malfoy and his associates will learn of this incident, and when they do they will surely use it in their attempts to sway people against the Sealing Arts. That Mr. Pibald's injuries were so minor is fortuitous for us as well as for him, as it will greatly reduce the outrage that Lucius might be able to stir up; many will consider it to be much ado about nothing. The situation could be better, but it could also be far worse, and may indeed worsen in the days to come..."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

"I'd say it's worsened, Albus."

It was three days after the minor Sealing mishap, and Iruka once more found himself in the Headmaster's office, both men looking at an article from that morning's Daily Prophet: FOREIGN MAGIC BLOWS UP HOGWARTS STUDENT!

As with many of Skeeter's works, the story bore only the most tenuous resemblance to the actual facts. Fuuinjutsu was treated as some great and ominous mystery and strongly implied to be a form of Dark magic. Pibald was described as 'an underaged child from a respectable family', which would give the ignorant an impression that he was several years younger than in reality, while the 'respectable' was polite code for 'pureblood'. The article stated that he was sent to the Hospital Wing, but not that Madam Pomfrey had easily healed his injuries, nor that the entire incident was caused by a deliberate violation of a teacher's rules and instructions. Iruka himself was portrayed as a savage foreigner, corrupting innocent children and leading them into danger and darkness while a senile Headmaster Dumbledore sat in his office happily sucking on lemon candy.

Overall, it was a remarkably skillful hatchet-job, one that Iruka would probably be more impressed by were he not its primary target.

"This _is_ a bit of a problem, yes," the aged wizard agreed. "I have already fielded several inquiries from concerned parents, members of the Board of Governors, and the Ministry. Thankfully, I believe that I was largely able to reassure them that this report is overblown, which should at least mitigate the damage, but this will still leave some parties more ill-disposed toward both you and your class. There are, unfortunately, many people who take whatever is in the Prophet, or in some cases anything by Ms. Skeeter, as the absolute truth. They, in particular, will for now have a badly tarnished view of both of us, though on the bright side the general inconsistency of the targeting of such pieces means that they will likely soon turn their ire elsewhere and forget this entire matter. I feel that our best strategy will be to weather the immediate storm and allow the matter to be forgotten."

"What about Skeeter?" Iruka asked with a thoughtful frown. "She seems oddly well-informed, as if she has an inside source or some means of snooping here at Hogwarts."

"Alas," Albus answered, "I do not know how it is that she is learning so much, so quickly, although doubtless certain students have been owling her tips. While it is certainly within my authority to ban her from the school's grounds, doing so at the present time would only validate her insinuations against us. It would also be possible to block or intercept the students' mail, but I would never do such a thing for any cause less than a clear necessity for the children's' safety."

"In the meantime, our best recourse is to continue as we have been and trust that the truth will win out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a reviewer ask last chapter about how the Ministry hopes to contain a rat animagus in Azkaban when a dog escaped. The answer is twofold: First, they didn't know about Sirius, but they do know about Pettigrew. Second, fine wire mesh charmed for durability, along with some tweaks to the cell door alongside specific protocols for feeding and otherwise interacting with him.
> 
> Some of you might be wondering how Sirius is receiving mental care after I'd previously stated that Wizarding Britain lacked any real resources in that discipline. There's a key difference here, though - Sirius is being treated for magical trauma. Unfortunately, wizards (at least in Britain) subscribe to the still-too-common attitude that mental illness is 'all in your head' so to speak, and that it's therefore up to the individual to overcome their own issues. As an aside, I DESPISE that attitude, as it creates a stigma against people that are struggling with serious neurological and/or neurochemical problems, causing people to treat the mentally ill as if their illness is a character defect and preventing many sufferers from seeking and/or receiving treatment. If you suffer from mental illness, it is NOT YOUR FAULT, and I urge you in the strongest possible terms to seek treatment if you aren't already being treated.
> 
> Sorry to go off on a rant like that, but I've lost two peers to suicide and if there's a chance that my words here might help someone that's suffering, I have to make the attempt.
> 
> Sadly, Iruka does not have the necessary raw power to cast a successful Patronus. In answer to the question I'm certain you're wondering about, if he could cast one it would take the form of a fox. Prior to the Naruto canon, it would probably have been a dolphin.
> 
> We also see Iruka's Boggart. Some of you may have expected it to be Kurama, and my wife suggested the six-tailed form Naruto took after Pain stabbed Hinata, but to me this would be the ultimate horror for him. Naruto is a force of nature, one of the most powerful individuals since the Sage himself, and beyond that has an unstoppable will to protect and win; this Boggart combined the implication of an enemy powerful enough to beat Konoha's greatest defender, terrible harm to someone Iruka cares for deeply, and witnessing that indomitable spirit broken. It's less the direct appearance of the Boggart, and more what its form implies - a threat so terrible that it could cause even Naruto to give up and lose hope.
> 
> Now, why did Luna do as well as Harry? Reason #1 is that she's easily the most positive and upbeat character in the story, which combined with her happy home life makes the emotional component of the spell very easy for her. Second is that because she's been training under Iruka the longest, it's boosted her magical power slightly and her mental discipline significantly. Harry and Neville are still (and will remain) the most magically powerful of the group, but Neville hasn't had the happiest of childhoods, and especially lacks in the spectacularly happy moments that a Patronus requires. Ginny is among the weakest magically (though already at least close to passing Iruka) because of her young age, and has the least training, while Hermione has a lot of trouble letting go and losing herself in emotion. Harry's memories aren't as happy as Luna's, but he's compensating with raw power and natural aptitude.
> 
> The slightly-exploded student is an OC, though I did steal his name from a work I have previously referenced. I'd have named him after Pronto (who's closer in personality), but frankly that name doesn't fit the setting nearly as well.


	8. Bugged

In a surprising twist, the Ministry's investigation into Sirius Black's wrongful imprisonment had already begun to bear fruit a bare nine weeks after it was announced. According to both official and unofficial channels, the DMLE had now focused almost exclusively on Bartemius Crouch as the responsible party (though several lower-ranking clerical and bureaucratic personnel had been dismissed for their lesser roles in the matter). Crouch was fighting the accusations with everything he had; his family was one of the so-called 'Sacred Twenty-Eight', the families considered most 'pure' by those that put stock in such nonsense, which gave him a surprising amount of clout in certain circles. It also helped him that he'd spent his entire career being extremely by-the-book, and was known as a staunch perfectionist, making the accusation that he'd so flagrantly broken the laws he supposedly championed a bit less convincing. On top of that, his aggressive and unflinching opposition to the Death Eaters had won him both plaudits and supporters, most of which he retained even after his son's arrest as a Death Eater because he'd sent even his own offspring to Azkaban with neither favoritism nor mercy.

All of this meant that further progress was slowing down, but Amelia Bones was nothing if not thorough. There were some factors working in her favor, at least: First and foremost, the Minister and his administration were fully behind her, meaning that for once she didn't have to worry about interference from above. Crouch's abrasive personality meant that he didn't really have any close friends, which left few people of any influence willing to stick their necks out on his behalf. Strangely enough given how often they opposed virtually anything the DMLE Director wanted, many hardliners on the Dark end of the political spectrum were also against him, mostly for his harsh treatment of the Death Eaters during his own time heading the department, though the fact that he'd shown no mercy to his own flesh and blood also factored in.

Black himself, meanwhile, had continued to correspond with Harry and Remus, recently mentioning that the mysterious Seeker goggles had been from him after he saw Harry struggling against the rain during the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match. His penmanship was showing a steadier hand, and he was very slowly beginning to improve in other areas: It was noticeably less often that the recovering wizard abruptly veered between topics, or went off on an angry or despondent rant about something or someone. After over two months of treatment, there were distinct signs that he was moving towards a healthier, more stable mental state. Unfortunately, he still had a long way to go, and based on what progress he'd made he stated that the Healers were hoping he'd be fit to receive occasional visitors by June, and possibly even make supervised outings by early autumn. Iruka suspected that these were in part targets to give the man goals to aim for in order to motivate him and get him to follow the Healers' instructions. Given Remus's descriptions of a wild and rebellious twenty-year-old coupled with the effects of imprisonment and Dementor exposure, Black was most likely a bit of a problem patient.

**Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

It was the last Saturday in February, and S.E.N. were stretching before their warm-up calisthenics for that day's training session when Iruka saw something amiss. Most people wouldn't think much of the beetle crawling out under the door of the girls' locker room, even in the midst of a Scottish winter; most people hadn't dealt with the Aburame and Yamanaka clans, hadn't been trained to treat every strange event as possible enemy action.

Turning partly away from the entrance and pulling a roll of bandages from one of his equipment pouches, the chuunin drew his wand and attempted a bit of free transfiguration. It took a bit of effort, but he soon had a crude metal box (he was aiming for steel, though he wasn't certain how well he'd succeeded on that front) just small enough to fit in his palm, with walls and a lid all around half a centimeter thick. "You know," he commented blandly to his somewhat confused students, "I think I may have forgotten my notes for today. Would you mind warming up by yourselves while I go check?"

He palmed the box's lid in one hand and the box itself in the other and kept his posture casual as he turned towards the door. As he walked, he began concentrating chakra to his limbs, an expression of good-natured absent-mindedness on his face while keeping the beetle in sight. Once he was in a good position, he struck.

A quick dash had him suddenly right beside the suspicious insect before the bug could react. Mindful of poison (an insect or an insect-like puppet could act as a delivery vehicle for frighteningly lethal venoms) Iruka used the lid to flick the beetle into the box, before slapping the lid home. Drawing his wand again, he applied a simple Sticking Charm to keep the lid in place, before turning to the children. "It's probably nothing, but just to be on the safe side I'd like to have Professor Dumbledore check this for me."

"A beetle?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Harry," Luna piped up, "how many beetles do you usually see around Hogwarts in the dead of winter?" She gave her friend a wry look. "Do we have to check you for Wrackspurts again?"

Harry looked a bit sheepish. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You go ahead, Iruka-sensei. We'll finish our stretches and do the usual laps and stuff. If you're not back by the time we're done with that, we'll... er, should we... what should we do if you're not back by then?"

Iruka smiled. "If I'm gone that long, just work on your meditation exercises. I'll send word if I won't be able to make it back."

Instruction given, he hurried to the Headmaster's office, sending word ahead with Flippy to make sure that said office would be occupied.

"Iruka," Dumbledore greeted seriously, "your missive stated that you'd found something potentially concerning during your training session?"

Iruka nodded. "Yeah. It might be nothing, but it was strange enough that I didn't want to take a chance. I'd have handled it myself if I knew the right spells, but as it stands I'll need you to check for me. Basically, what I've got here," he gestured with the box, "is a beetle that really shouldn't be active at this time of year. I don't know if maybe it's just been keeping warm in the castle, though it'd be the first time I'd seen a beetle like this during the winter. What worries me is that it might be bespelled in some way, or be a magical creature, or even something else. I just don't know enough about magic to know if or how it could be dangerous beyond having some kind of poison."

"Very well," Albus mused, drawing his wand, "please, set the box on the floor and stand clear, and we shall see what is truly happening." As the chuunin did so, the elder wizard stepped around his desk, casting a number of spells over the area. "There, that should be adequate." A flick of his wand caused the box to jerk upwards slightly, before he narrowed his eyes and simply Vanished the entire box. The beetle immediately tried to fly towards the door, but a spell cast with far greater speed and precision than Iruka could confidently match had it frozen in place. The Headmaster's wand seemed to dance, as a series of diagnostic spells washed over the insect to no visible effect.

"You will be relieved to know that I can detect no poisons, potions, curses, nor other hazards. This does simply appear to be an ordinary beetle, which begs the question of how and why it snuck into your training room." The Headmaster paused in thought, before casting a spell Iruka recognized from several weeks prior and getting a similar result to the last casting he'd seen. "The answer appears to be that this beetle is a witch or wizard. Your caution, it would seem, was well-warranted. Now, let us see precisely who has been snooping about..."

A further spell had the beetle growing rapidly, its shape becoming that of an adult witch. She appeared to be close to Iruka's age, with somewhat masculine features that contrasted sharply with her rhinestone-studded spectacles and long, red-painted fingernails. Her blonde hair was done up in elaborate curls that seemed oddly stiff, and she was carrying a handbag made from some kind of reptile leather. As the transformation ended and the spell released its hold, the woman slumped to the floor, her brightly-colored robes looking somewhat rumpled.

"Ah, Rita," Albus said congenially, "this certainly explains your remarkable ability to ferret out secrets." Rita _Skeeter_ , apparently. "Your consistently outstanding marks in Transfiguration were clearly well-deserved, and I must congratulate you on completing such a tricky bit of magic. Given that it's one of my particular areas of expertise, I of course keep an eye out for Transfiguration-related events, but I'm afraid I must have missed the news of your registering as an Animagus."

Skeeter stood up a bit shakily, brushing dust off her robes while trying to straighten them out somewhat. A saccharine, almost patronizing smile appeared on her face, as she looked at the older wizard. "Why thank you, Headmaster," she said brightly, before her eyes took on a more predatory glint, "but what _have_ you been doing with Professor Umino here that he's able to Apparate within the Hogwarts wards? Or was that strange training room free of the interdiction ward, to allow the teaching of Apparition to underage students? What _other_ dangerous and illegal things are you allowing him to teach the Boy-Who-Lived and other young children?"

Her morals were clearly less than iron-clad, but Iruka had to admit that the woman was incredibly brazen to take such an approach after she'd been caught out. Then again, it might just have been that she was completely shameless. Probably a bit of both, really.

Albus's demeanor saddened, and he gave the trespasser a disappointed look. "Really, Ms. Skeeter, I don't believe that you quite understand the situation in which you presently find yourself. A mere few weeks after a truly detestable and incredibly dangerous criminal was apprehended while using his unregistered Animagus form to hide among children, you yourself have been caught doing the same. I hardly think your rivals would ignore such an easy and sensational parallel. While would be entirely unsurprised if you had sufficient... _influence_ over important individuals to escape serious legal ramifications," it may have been pronounced 'influence' but it somehow sounded more like 'blackmail', "the revelation of your form would undoubtedly still eliminate numerous opportunities by which you might otherwise have gathered information for your work. In fact, I dare say that it would swiftly become quite hazardous to be an insect in many parts of Wizarding Britain."

The witch tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That _would_ be inconvenient, yes. Of course, the fact that you've not already called in the Aurors to drag me away suggests that you've got an alternative in mind."

The Headmaster nodded. "I shan't demand anything so unreasonable as that you abandon your career and livelihood. Rather, I ask only that you improve the quality of your work: Look for what is true, rather than simply what is most scandalous; there are enough scandalous and sensational stories in reality that you hardly need to rely so heavily upon innuendo and insinuation. Imagine, perhaps, that you are composing your stories as essays for Professor Slughorn, and make sure of your facts before you write. You have a remarkable talent for capturing and swaying the hearts of your readers, Ms. Skeeter, and it is at present sadly wasted on rumor and speculation. I would also, by the way, prefer that you refrain from snooping about the school, at least while pupils are present."

"Ever the teacher, eh Dumbledore?" Skeeter's smile turned wry. "I suppose I don't have much choice but to shackle my creativity," she sighed melodramatically, "and write only the dry facts."

Albus chuckled slightly. "Indeed. Perhaps you could exercise your creative side in the realm of fiction? A thrilling adventure, a gripping drama, a steamy romance - whatever your muse provides, I have no doubt of your ability to succeed as an author. Also, so that you do not leave with the impression that this is a purely punitive arrangement... should your work in the Prophet rise to a suitably factual standard, you may begin to receive anonymous tips regarding stories of potential interest, or even statements or offers of interviews from notable parties. As an example, purely hypothetical you understand, you might hear that the Board of Governors has for a great many years refused to fund the replacement of the school brooms. This would seem innocuous enough, until some investigation revealed that the current brooms, upon which our First-Years have their flying lessons, are so old and worn as to be downright unsafe. Why, it might even turn out that malfunctions of these brooms have _already_ led to a number of injuries among the student body. But of course, that's just a possibility."

"Of course." The predatory gleam had returned, and Iruka could see the reporter's mind already beginning to spin a tale of tight-fisted Governors and maimed eleven-year-olds. "I must say, Headmaster, that this has been a most... _enlightening_ discussion, but I'm afraid I have a deadline to meet and a great deal of work to do, so I must be going. Could I trouble you for use of your Floo?"

Once the blond muckraker had departed in a flash of emerald flames (great, now she had _him_ thinking in florid prose...), Iruka stepped away from the wall where he'd done his best to remain uninteresting ever since Skeeter had focused on his employer. Given that he was a virtual nobody dressed in neutral colors and Albus was _Albus Dumbledore_ and dressed in _numerous_ colors, it really didn't take a trained ninja to avoid drawing attention. "Do you think it'll actually work?"

"We can but hope. It _is_ quite likely that Rita knows a great many secrets which powerful people would prefer _remain_ secret, and might well use that leverage along with such favors as she's managed to garner to escape prosecution. However, it is also entirely possible that those same powerful people, along with numerous others that have felt the sting of her poison pen, would do their utmost to see her and her knowledge buried as thoroughly as they could manage. She is certainly perspicacious enough to be aware of this risk, and that combined with the less dire scenario of simply losing her ability to sneak and snoop so successfully should secure her cooperation."

"Even so," the Headmaster continued, "I very much doubt that we will be entirely spared Ms. Skeeter's attentions. She is a scorpion, and it is in her nature to sting. The best we can reasonably expect is that she will take a more honest, factual approach to her writing and leave the children alone. Time, as they say, will tell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iruka transfigured a metal box instead of just grabbing Rita because he didn't know what the beetle was. It could have been venomous, or have some sort of magical defense mechanism he'd never heard of, or even be a small bomb. If he'd had more practice at transfiguration, the box would have probably been more elaborate in order to protect against even more possible dangers, but he's only got a few years' worth of training and experience.
> 
> Harry was the only one of the kids that spotted Rita, partly a consequence of all that Seeker training, while Luna as always provides insight.
> 
> As far as Dumbledore's deal with Rita goes, that's over ninety years of age difference and decades of political experience that canon Hermione didn't have being put to use. He knew that just telling Skeeter to shut up would be a band-aid at best and more likely would end up backfiring badly as she made an earlier start on The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, only in this case with a major axe to grind. She's still going to be a scandalmonger, and she'll still sometimes target Dumbledore and those around him, but at least her articles will have a bit more of a foundation in truth and a bit less insinuation. Hopefully. Sometimes. Eventually. Maybe.
> 
> You might have noted that Rita thought Iruka apparated, rather than simply moving quickly. She has no idea about his abilities, so she interpreted what she saw based on what she knew, i.e. magic. Also, I don't think beetles really have very good eyesight, so I'm not sure she'd have even been able to see anything more than Iruka disappearing from one spot and appearing in another. Entomology enthusiasts, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that.


	9. Dogfather

The weeks rolled on, and life at Hogwarts managed to remain at its own bizarre version of normal - no possessed teachers, ancient giant killer snakes, or soul-sucking demons. Just hundreds of teens and preteens learning to rewrite the laws of reality with wooden sticks and bad Latin.

By the time May rolled around, every member of S.E.N. had started to show their own strengths and weaknesses to at least some degree, at least from Iruka's training; Filius wasn't at nearly as many meetings, so even with their official Defense classes, their magical combat was still developing. Luna was physically the most flexible, had exceptional chakra control, was just ahead of Hermione as the best at first-aid, and showed intermittent bouts of truly remarkable situational awareness (though she still tended to get distracted or lost in thought). Harry's speed and agility were clearly the best of the group, though Ginny was managing a solid second place, and likewise his skill at taijutsu. Neville was easily the most physically powerful, and his once-poor stamina had recently surpassed even Harry's, though he remained the slowest member. Hermione's chakra control was quite good, as were her mental discipline and fuuinjutsu, but her chakra capacity was a bit low and her taijutsu more average. Ginny's late start meant that she was playing catch-up, leaving her chakra capacity and control at the back of the pack, but her active childhood (and dealing with rowdy older brothers) meant that she was already doing well in taijutsu and agility, and she'd shown a definite knack for accurate shurikenjutsu.

On the magical front, Harry and Luna had both managed to conjure a corporeal Patronus, a stag and a dolphin respectively. Now they worked to cast them quickly and reliably and to maintain them for longer, while the other three could manage misty shields that sometimes tried to coalesce into vague shapes.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

After the past two years, it was sadly unsurprising that something happened in mid-June that would guarantee the departure of Hogwarts' Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"It's probably for the best," Remus said resignedly. "We knew it was unlikely that I'd be able to stick around, and I was honestly more than a little worried that circumstances would somehow conspire to have me biting a student at the full moon. There'd have been no recovering from that, even with Sirius freed; I would have been left with the choice of either going on the run or turning myself in for execution. At least this way I'm only losing my job - not an unfamiliar experience - rather than my head, and nobody else is hurt by it."

Albus had predicted that Rita Skeeter would find a way to strike back within the terms of their arrangement, and she'd proven him right. Her article in the Prophet - _WEREWOLF IN HOGWARTS!_ \- was still written for sensationalism, but unlike much of her previous work that Iruka had seen, it was also based solidly in fact and even presented or referenced evidence to back up its claims. While nowhere near the journalistic level of some of the better Muggle papers Iruka had read on occasion, it was at least a modest improvement upon her usual style.

"I'd say the students are hurt by it," Iruka retorted, "unless Albus can pull off the miracle of recruiting two competent Defense teachers in a row. I understand pickings are more than a little slim these days, and you were an exception rather than the rule."

"I'll make sure to leave a set of notes, lesson plans, and recommended textbooks, just in case the next teacher needs or wants a bit of help."

"You're really not going to fight this?"

Remus sighed, his shoulders slumping. "There wouldn't be much point, I'm afraid. Influential as Albus is, even he would be hard-pressed to avoid sacking me, and trying could well see the Board of Governors ousting him as well. Even if he succeeded it would be costly, and with the threat we know is still lurking out there he can ill-afford to spend so much political capital on a risky prospect. By announcing that I'll be leaving at the end of term, I satisfy those who hate and fear werewolves, and by not making Albus choose between shielding and sacking me, I save him from most of the ire from both sides."

"Besides," the werewolf continued, "with Sirius freed, he'll need some help getting back into the swing of things. He also owled me as soon as he heard I was resigning, begging for my help in clearing out his family's old house: The Black family were mostly as dark as their name, or darker, and that much Dark magic in one place over that amount of time has lasting effects. Throw in years of neglect, and it's quite likely that more than a few nasty creatures have shown up and made themselves at home. Fortunately for Padfoot, he happens to know someone that's an expert on dealing with Dark creatures, eh?" This last bit was said with a wry smile that didn't quite manage to reach his eyes.

"Just take care of yourself," Iruka said firmly, "and try and keep Black out of too much trouble. Harry's finally gotten some strong links to his parents, and I don't want either of you disappearing on him."

"I'll try my best, though keeping Sirius out of trouble is likely to be about as manageable as doing the same for Harry." Remus gave Iruka a dry look for a moment before relenting. "Truly, though, I'm coming out of this reasonably well. Teacher's pay isn't a lot, as you know, but it's been more and for longer than I can usually manage, and I've not had to buy food for over nine months; I've been able to put aside a fair amount of money that should last me quite a while even if I don't find much work. Sirius will probably insist on trying to pay me for helping him, and while I _think_ I've closed off all the loopholes that he and James used to use to sneak me payment for things in the past it wouldn't surprise me if he figures out some new trick."

"Oh!" The departing Defense Professor snapped his fingers. "I've just remembered, Sirius also said that once the house is cleared, we should be able to look through the Black family library. With a bit of luck, we'll manage to find enough of the missing spells to be able to at least partially recreate the Marauder's Map. We don't have James to handle his part, but we _are_ both fully-qualified wizards instead of schoolboys, and with Filius and Albus lending their own talents there's a good chance we'll be able to make something usable."

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

On the revelations in the Prophet, opinions among the student body varied widely: The largest and most vocal group was, unfortunately, those that were heavily prejudiced against werewolves. Defense classes which had previously had an air of fun were now fraught with tension, as once-eager students now sat as far from their Professor as they could manage while still attending class. More problematically, in some cases bigotry overrode fear, leaving students unwilling to recognize Remus's authority. While the quiet man refused to react to their open disrespect, Iruka had no such qualms and every house saw a sudden drop in their House Points, Slytherin unsurprisingly suffering the most thanks in part to a certain thick-headed blonde and his entourage. The worst offenders even had to attend detentions when they really needed the time for last-minute revision for their exams. Several other faculty members, including three of the four Heads of House, soon followed Iruka's example and cracked down on those students unwilling to respect their teacher.

At the opposite end of the spectrum were students that couldn't care less about the Defense Professor's lycanthropy. Some, such as S.E.N. and a fair number of Hufflepuffs, saw the person rather than the disease. Others, mostly Ravenclaws and Fifth- and Seventh-years, would have been fine with a dragon for a professor if the class was sufficiently informative and prepared them well for their exams. There were even a group of mostly Muggle-born students that simply didn't see what the big deal was, or even thought werewolves were 'cool'.

In between the two extremes were a range of attitudes, from the nervous and uncertain to the confused to the simply apathetic. While there _was_ a significant amount of support among the students for Remus, it was nowhere near enough to have a chance of saving his job. Whispers could soon be heard wondering who the next Defense Professor would be, and what would in turn drive _them_ from the castle. Rumors ran from Sirius Black (chased out by an escaped Dementor) to Sybil Trelawney (scared away by something in her tea leaves) to Merlin himself (crumbling to dust after abruptly remembering he's supposed to be dead). The Weasley Twins had already started taking bets.

 **Λ**  
**-――――===ͽ <  O  > ͼ===――――-**  
**V**

Thankfully the only notable event during the remainder of term was exams, before the students once more left for home on board the Hogwarts Express. A few days later, Iruka found himself back at St. Mungo's, this time accompanying Harry and the Grangers towards Sirius Black's room.

Iruka could only imagine the riot of thoughts and emotions that were probably bouncing around his student's head right now, though anxiety was obviously at the forefront. Between that, anticipation, and a sort of tentative hope, Harry was filled with enough nervous energy to power a small town. He was finally about to meet the man he'd been corresponding with for months, his father's best friend, the man that had he not been wrongfully imprisoned would have been the one to raise Harry; he seemed unable to decide whether he was eager to rush forward or to call the whole meeting off.

The Grangers were there at both parties' requests, Harry wanting the support and Black wanting to meet the people caring for his godson, while Iruka's presence was mostly Harry's idea. It was indescribably gratifying that a student held him in such high regard.

Harry's hand paused just as he was about to knock on the room's door. "Just remember," Wendell said reassuringly, "he's as afraid of you as you are of him." Iruka had to assume that this was some sort of reference he was missing, as the other four shared a round of giggles that broke the tension quite effectively. After his knock was answered by a "Come in!" from inside the room, Harry opened the door and led his party in.

Sirius Black was certainly looking much better than the last time Iruka had seen him (not a difficult feat, admittedly): His wild, matted hair had been tamed into a shoulder-length mane that straddled the border between wavy and curly, and like virtually everything else in the hospital he was thoroughly clean. His beard had been likewise washed and groomed. Features that had previously been gaunt and bordering on skeletal had filled in significantly, though Black's frame remained quite thin; rebuilding muscle mass was one of the more long-term aspects of the healing. Where before his complexion had been deathly pale and his skin badly weatherbeaten, it was now a much healthier shade, though like the familiar werewolf standing beside him he looked prematurely aged by at least a decade. His expression largely mirrored that of his godson, showing a maelstrom of different emotions fighting for control, though there was also a brief flash of a somewhat manic glint in his eyes.

"Harry?" His voice was soft, hesitant, before his face broke in to a broad grin and he opened his arms wide, shouting "Harry!" The young teen flinched slightly, and Remus put a calming hand on Black's shoulder. "Sorry about that, pup," the recovering ex-prisoner said in a more subdued tone, "I guess I still need some more work on the whole 'normal interaction' thing, huh?"

Remus snorted. "I've been saying that since First Year, Padfoot. Still, at least you're not licking his face or- I probably shouldn't continue that line of thought with children present..."

At the looks of confusion and worry worn by several of his visitors, Black's grin turned mischievous. Suddenly, where there had been a man in a hospital gown there was instead an enormous black wolfhound seated on the bed, tongue lolling out and head tilted playfully to one side. After a couple of happy barks, he shifted back.

"There are _so_ many puns," Wendell muttered, prompting an eye-roll from his wife.

"He's made them all," Remus responded, completely deadpan. " _Frequently_."

Black gave his friend a put-upon look before turning back to his other visitors. "Now that the peanut gallery's had their say, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Sirius Black, Padfoot of the Marauders, and dogfather to Harry here. This, for those that haven't met him, is Moony, also known as Remus Lupin, one of my first and closest friends."

"Wendell Granger, my wife Monica, and our daughter Hermione."

"And I'm Umino Iruka - I mentioned in our letters about name order in my country? - a pleasure to meet you properly."

Their 'host' nodded to each person in turn with a friendly smile, before his expression became more serious, "First off, I wanted to personally thank you, Professor Umino, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, for all you've done for my godson. Also, you don't have to worry about me trying to take custody of Harry: Even if I was fit to care for a child, and had a decent place to live ready, you've still got a better track record than me when it comes to doing what's right by him. That night, instead of taking care of my orphaned godson like I should have, I went off half-cast on a mad quest for revenge; it cost me dearly, and worse it cost Harry."

"What I _will_ do," he continued, "is make sure you're all covered legally and financially as best I can. I understand you're not exactly hurting for money, but it seems I've inherited a fair amount from my family." Black grinned darkly. "Given how much my mad harpy of a mother and the rest hated Muggles and Muggle-born, I can't think of any better use for their gold than paying for the Hogwarts supplies of a Muggle-born student."

Both Granger parents looked distinctly uncomfortable, though Hermione's mind was clearly lost in an imagined shopping spree at Flourish and Blotts. "That's, well," Wendell said, "as amusing as that thought is, you really don't need to do that. Harry's no trouble at all, he's been wonderful to have around, and you're welcome to visit once you're well enough."

"I'm sure you don't need it," the wizard replied, "but I need to do something, for my own peace of mind if nothing else. I failed in my responsibilities," his expression swung back to morose, "and it cost Harry so much, so much..." he trailed off into silence for a moment before shaking himself like a wet dog and regathering his thoughts. "Obviously, I can't undo what's been done, but what I _can_ do is everything possible to make sure my godson has a bright future and thank you lot for taking care of him. To that end," he said with a mischievous smile as he reached over to a nightstand, retrieving a bulging envelope, "I have here tickets for the four of you, the Professor, and Moony here for box seats at the Quidditch World Cup final match. It's going to be right here in England this year - quite the opportunity, eh? I wish I could go with you all, but the Healers say I'll be stuck here for another few months at least, so you'll just have to tell me all about it, right Harry?" The teen in question nodded eagerly with a broad grin on his face.

"With all that serious bol- er, stuff out of the way," Black hastily changed his chosen phrasing at a combined glare from Remus and Hermione, "we can talk about fun things! I've been saving this little story to tell you in person, since a letter just wouldn't do it justice. It was back in Fourth Year - Moony wasn't there, it was just James and me - and James had just come up with another of his little plans to ask Lily out..."

Soon enough even the straight-laced Hermione was holding her sides with laughter. "So there we are, striped magenta and teal from head to toe and wearing bikinis, and Lily just gets up in our faces and says, 'And if I ever catch you degenerates trying to sneak into the girls' dorms again, I'm going to get _creative_.' It took Madam Pomfrey three hours to fix us up, and we never did figure out how Lily turned that prank around on us. Your mum was a terrifying witch, Harry - utterly brilliant and an amazing person, but still terrifying. Now, let's hear about some of the trouble you've gotten into, the good stuff you wouldn't put into your letters."

The two teens looked at each other in thought, shooting glances at their parents and Iruka. They'd all agreed before coming that until Black was in a stable mental state, they couldn't risk sharing the truth about S.E.N. with him. Still, that didn't eliminate _all_ of their stories. "Well," Harry finally replied, "I guess I haven't told you exactly _how_ I ended up on the Gryffindor Quidditch team..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Luna's Patronus is different from canon. Having someone show up at the worst moment of your life thus far and save your mother's life is the kind of thing that affects a person, I'd say.
> 
> Leave a review with your own suggested rumors for who might end up teaching Defense and why they'd leave - I'll try and collect them to post in an A/N or Omake.


End file.
